The Past Never Stays In The Past
by Wiggle34
Summary: Story about Nick and Jennifer and how their past seems to catch up with them, even when they prefer it didn't
1. Chapter 1

Title: Will our cover not be blown.  
>Author: me<br>Rating: M mature people please there will be use of bad words at times so may not be suited to children  
>Disclaimer: I do not own City Homicide or its characters,<br>Summary: Set 6 months after the final episode of City Homicide  
>Author's Notes: At times it may seem OC but that is how I write my stories some IC and some OC a nice mixture<p>

* * *

><p>Nick was at home in a foul mood after his disagreement with Jen the night before, when he got a visitor and not long later he was being whizzed off.<p>

Back at Homicide everyone was busy working on a case that had come up, but they all noticed that Nick had not came to the crime scene or arrived at work at all that day. Jen has decided to go talk to Matt, as she does Matt comes out of his office and Jen starts to talk to him.

"Matt where's Nick?" Jen asks  
>"He's on leave." replies Waverley from behind, Jen spins around<br>"For how long?" asks Jen.  
>"Unknown length of time, Matt I have a new detective coming in to help you out while Nick is away. They will arrive shortly." Waverley replies before walking away. Jen goes and sits down at her desk steering at her computer screen<p>

Jen stays sitting at her desk. _He's gone away why didn't he say anything to me. Did I really upset him when I refuse to allow him to transfer? Or has he done the transfer and not told anyone, we normally don't get another detective in when one is on leave as we can normally handle it._

_I know I'm sick of seeming like we're still undercover. He loves homicide just as much as me, why can't he understand what I'm trying to do for us._

Jen is so away with her thoughts that she doesn't notice Allie trying to get her attention.

"Sorry Allie." Jen says shaking her head  
>"You ok?"<br>"Yea was just thinking."  
>"Matt wants us for a meeting" she says to Jen and Jen follows Allie.<p>

Matt explains to the team about the case, Jen listens but doesn't take much in. They start working on the case.

* * *

><p>Nick is taken to a private location.<p>

"Byrnes why am I not surprised to see you again" replies Nick once he is inside the building.  
>"Sorry to have to pull you out like I did Nick but I need your help."<br>"And what help is that Byrnes?"  
>"We need to put you back undercover as Wesley Claybourne."<br>"What for?"  
>"We've been tracking another cell, they using a cover and shipping in drugs, weapons and other items into the country, we got Intel stating that the guy running it wants to start using another firm to do the shipping he's got wind that the company he has been using is feeding info."<br>"Ok and what has this got to do with me?"  
>"We hoping that one of our moles can convince him to use Claybourne shipping, we have the company up and running already, he does most of his meetings with his new clients via this night club." Burns shows him pictures of the outside of the club.<br>"Well it is going to look bad without Jen around to play the oh so doting wife." Nick says with sarcasm  
>"Yea I'm trying to keep her out of this as much as I can, due to what happened last time. What I'm hoping to do Nick is to get you reading up on the Intel I have here for you, then insert you in within the next two to three days, and bring Jen in later, right now she is away visiting relatives without you, as you will see in this file you decided to stay behind and work at getting more shipping contracts. Everything you need to know is in this file."<br>"How long is this assignment for Burns?"  
>"Open ended but you will have weapons, I'm not McAllister Nick, what I am hoping for is that our mole that is working in the group will hopefully convince him to at least talk to you, and then we get him to start using Claybourne Shipping, where we can have more of our own involved."<br>"What about my job, work colleges what are they going to be told?"

"They're being told you're on leave for an unknown period of time."

"Great, Jen is going to go nuts over that one." Nick says rubbing his hand over the back of his head.

"Sometimes I wished I never signed that dam contract."

"Sorry Nick but you did and now you're at our call whenever we need you. The real Trish and Wesley Claybourne are still in witness protection overseas."

"Nick I know you most likely not at all happy to do this but we need you guys to do this again for us. My superiors recommended I get you guys back in to help with this."

"I have a job Byrnes, a life one I prefer to be doing than this."

"I know you do but the sooner we get you in the sooner you get back out."

"I don't know, I lost far too much last time around, when both Jen and I were under cover for over a year, it's a lot to ask of us, both of us. And personally I can't see Jen going for it at all she went through hell."

"She like you Nick has no say in the matter. When the time is right she will be brought in to join you, I hoping to get you to do the ground work then get her in and go from there."

"Now take this stuff and start reading, you've got two days to remember everything that is here." Nick takes the folders and heads off to an area that Byrnes has aside for Nick.

* * *

><p>It has been two days since Nick left; Jen has left messages for him and has had no reply from him. They are just close to closing their homicide from the other day.<p>

The new detective was ok, but she seemed odd to Jen. She seemed to know a bit about Nick and was not afraid to tell Jen and the others that she had been more than a friend to Nick.

Jen could not help but play with the necklace around her neck that Nick had gotten her while under cover five years ago. The only item that she was able to keep. The more she thought of Nick the more she worried. She knew she'd upset him but she thought he would at least ring her and let her know he was ok, even if he didn't want to talk to her about anything else.

Before long two weeks had passed by for Jen without word from Nick. Duncan, Allie and Rhys had all noticed Jen was slowly withdrawing from them. She didn't want to go out after word for a drink. She just did her work and went home. Even Matt noticed it one day and asked her. She just brushed it off saying everything was fine. But for Jen everything wasn't fine something was wrong she knew it, her gut was telling her Nick was off doing something and for some unknown reason she felt she should be with him. It was the same feeling she had when they were under cover. They tell you not to get to close to your partner, but she knew the longer they were together playing husband and wife the more she fell in love with him. She hated doing the undercover work, she had trouble sleeping but the only good thing out of it all was she had him beside her every night to curl up next too, to dream of what could have been if it wasn't for the him she wouldn't have gotten through it as well as she did. By day professionals, husband and wife running a business by night the socialized with friends, where it was expect that they touch, kiss do things that husbands and wife's do.

The long Nick was away the more she dreamed of the times they had together then, and before they had the fight. The third time things had gone wrong for them. 1st being SIS splitting them due to busting the cell wide open, second when she called it off after going back under as Trish and Wesley, and then that night where he told her he was going to apply for a transfer and they had an argument over it. She went over to his house a few times and found nothing his mail was being cleared and so was his paper if it was being left there of course. She used the key she had and entered and found nothing to tell her where he had gone, or who with. His safe still had his gun in it, which was a relief to her. She spend a few nights staying there hoping he would return and they could sort it out. Unknown to Jen she was being watched and photographed entering and leaving Nicks house, and also at other locations around town.

* * *

><p>Nick spent the next two days reading up on what he had been given, he thought of Jennifer a few times.<p>

_Got she's going to be thinking I left her after our fight the other night. I can't even get word to her that I'm ok. Get your mind back on the job Nick tomorrow you became Wesley Claybourne again. Why did they have to bring me back involved with this? Why couldn't they ask someone else to do it._

Nick gets back to going over the files.

The following morning he is taken to his new home, and for a change it is more upmarket compared to the last one they were in. He even has his own vehicle in the garage for him to use, this lets him know this is going to be a long assignment. _I would not be surprised if it's fitted out with dam camera and mics as well. Well a few weeks without Jen, on my own is going to be fun. Time to go inside and check out the house. See what crappy bed and furniture they have for us._

Once he was inside and got himself sorted he headed off in the car that was provided to go to work. His job as Wesley Claybourne was in full swing.

For the two weeks he would get up go to work came home, have a few of the work guys over for drinks. On Saturday morning just over two weeks since starting his cover there is a knock on the door.

"Jimmy nice to see you this morning, came to mow my lawns have you" replies Wesley

"You bet I have. I brought a friend with me, Pete this is Wesley Claybourne of Claybourne shipping."

"Nice to meet you." They shack hands

"So Wesley when is that totally gorgeous wife of yours due home from her sisters?"

"Not sure I'm hoping not too soon, I forgot how much she does around the house for me."

"Where is your wife Mr Claybourne?" asks Pete, as he looks around the lounge where they are standing.

"Please call me Wesley; Mr Claybourne is far too formal for a Saturday morning and my wife is at her sisters in Sydney, she had a car accident and she went to help her out. Jimmy there is more petrol for the lawn mower in the garden shed if you need it I filled it up on my way home last night for you." Jimmy nods his head.

"Right off to do these lawns." Jimmy says as he head off to start on the lawns.

Wesley offers, Pete a drink which he accepts.

"So Jimmy told me you two have known each other for a long time."

"Yes we have."

"He also said you own a shipping business"

"Yes my wife and I do, we just in the process of getting it back up and running again, I've ask Jimmy to came back and head up our security team, he ran it last time. But he's yet to accept my offer, says he likes spending his nights out clubbing, which doesn't surprise me." He says with a smile on his face.

"Well I did some research on your company, I know you got arrested for shipping guns and weapons in, was he involved?"

"Oh no he was stuck in dam hospital was involved in a car accident the night before, which I still believe to this day was no accident."

"Why do you say that?"

"Have you been with him when he drives, he is so dam careful, a bloody excellent driver and his understudy I'm sure was working as a mole, and with Jimmy not being around he knew the police could get in, he said he fall asleep in front of the monitors, Trish was not impressed she used some interesting words when she saw him next. Why do you ask?"

"I'm looking for a new shipping company to ship in my goods for the business I run."

"Well if you want to talk business go ahead ask away."


	2. Chapter 2

"Well I would like to know what countries you're willing to ship from."

"We ship from where ever the clients want us too. At present we back shipping from Indonesia, New Zealand and Malaysia, bringing in whatever the clients want us to bring in. We handle everything from dock to dock we also handle the freight side of it all from the wholesaler to you. We prefer to have as less people involved as possible."

"In what way do you do this."

"Well when you purchase your items say your got a supplier in Indonesia, you purchase your items off them, you contact us and you tell us what it is you've ordered how much from who then we go collect the items, bring them back to the port and load them on to our ship, which then brings them to the port here and we unload it all and freight it out to you. We deal with customs as needed and the fright companies all you've got to worry about is finding the right item at the right price."

"Sounds all too good to be true"

"It may sound like that but it's how we work we find if we deal with all of that we are able to keep a far better track of everything plus we then get a far better service from the freight company we use because we are regulars, and like most companies they love regulars. Plus you only have to pay us and the company you purchased the items off, we charge the freight to you and then pay the freight company."

They go and talk some more about business and things in general. Pete invites him to the club later that night. Tells him where it is. Not long later Jimmy enters after finishing off the lawns. They have a few cold ones before heading off.

_God this is damn slow progress. I just hope Jen waits for me, and doesn't think I upped and left her. God she is going to be fuming when she sees me again when ever that is._ Nick thinks to himself after Pete leaves the house.

* * *

><p>Jen is at Nick's place watering the few plants he has and just sitting around enjoying being in his house with the things that remind her of him. She is sitting on the couch with a blanket when there is a knock on the door, for Jen this gets her wondering who would be turning up. She heads to the door and opens it.<p>

"Detective Smith what are you doing here?"

"I could be asking you the same thing?"

"I have a key for Nick's place was just watering his plants and that for him while he's away."

"Are so he's not home yet then?"

"No not yet."

"So you must know where he is then if he has you coming here to do his plants?"

"No sorry I don't." Jen says as they stand there on the door step.

"Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"No was just hoping to see Nick to catch up on old times maybe rekindle things, can I leave a note for him?"

"I'll let him know when he decides to return back to work, which we will all find out at the same time." _I got this funny feeling SIS have him_ Jen thinks to herself.

"Ok thanks Jennifer, see you at work on Monday." Says Lucy, before walking off to leave Jen to do what she was doing. Jen decides not to stay for much longer before leaving to head to her own place. She sets the house alarm before leaving.

Mid Monday morning Jen is at work working on paperwork, she is sitting at her desk when a uniformed police officer brings something for her. She passes it to Jen.

"Hey Jen who's the fella?" asks Duncan with a grin on his face, as they all look at the bunch of yellow lilies that have been delivered to her. Lucy is looking at her in surprise and wonderment.

"I have no idea who they from yet Duncan." She replies. _But whoever sent them knows these are my all-time favourite,_ she thinks to herself as she grabs the note to read it. As she opens it she recognises the hand writing straight away and smiles, a true smile in close to three weeks which does not go unnoticed by the rest of the crew.

_Missing you my beautiful darling wife, _

_Hope your stay at your sisters is going well,_

_See you in a few days_

_Love from your wonderful husband._

_Wesley C. XO XO  
><em>

She reads it a few times before she clicks on to the message. O_h god no he's not why the hell aren't I there with him, sisters, Oh shit no, he must be warning me, the SIS must be coming to get me soon then, thank god your alive Nick, but why the hell wasn't I taken at the same time, and what is going on. Why take him and not me. God Nick what are we getting mixed up with this time._

"Jen what's wrong?" Duncan sees her face turn to worry, everyone sees the look on her face. Her face has gone from happy to worry just as quick.

"Jen?" Duncan asks again. She snaps out of it.

"Nothing for you lot to worry about." She gets up takes the flowers and goes put them in a vase with some water, the note she puts in her pocket.

"Jen are you really alright?" asks Matt when he finds her.

"Why the hell didn't you tell me where Nick really is, I have a right to know." She yells at him.

"Jen I have no idea where he is."

"Don't bull shit me Matt, you must have known where he is?"

"No Jen all I know is he's on leave for an unknown period of time that is all Waverley told me." Jen just shakes her head.

"So Jen the flowers who sent them? I saw them being given to you."

"Um I can't say right now Matt, sorry." A smile returning back to her face at the thought of Nick going to all this trouble just for her.

For the rest of the day Jen was jumpy, but she did have a smile on her face, no one could figure it out, she had gone from being semi withdrawn and not her normal self to now being jumpy as if she is waiting for someone or something to pounce on her.

The team knew it was due to the flowers, but for Lucy all she wanted to know if they were from Nick or not, she was not happy to know that Jen had a key to his place, she was hoping she could get him for herself but if not she knew she had a way to solve the problem if Nick was interested in Miss Jennifer Mapplethorpe, she would have to find a way to make him see her as the better one..

Over the next three days Jen is still on edge but not as bad as before. She knows they will come and get her when they need her, but what does she do she can't tell anyone where she is going or where Nick is, she has now figured it out, Nick is with SIS as Wesley Claybourne, and that the flowers were a warning that she will be with him soon one way or another. And it was his way of letting her know he was ok and thinking of her.

* * *

><p>"Nick why did you send those flowers you were seen enter that flower shop and when we checked, you had some flowers delivered to Jen." Burns asks him in the office.<p>

"She had to be told one way or another that I was ok, she would have been stressing out not knowing what the hell is going on, I had to do something, the both of us have worked close to each other for too long, we hide nothing from each other. And anyway I wrote the note, sealed it myself before I went there, the shop had no idea what was in the note, and if you like I didn't use my real name at all. I made it sound like any normal husband sending flowers to their wife while the wife is away I'm not stupid Byrnes, I'm not going to blow my cover but she needed to know, I was ok and where I was and since I am Wesley Claybourne and she is soon to be back as Trish I knew it would be ok to send them, I'm not breaking any rules I'm not telling anyone, and I know Jen she would not let anyone see that note. Plus it gives her a few days to cool down before you pick her up." Nick says to him angrily. There is silence in the room.

"When is she coming into all of this, Pete is starting to wonder about her, he asked me last night if she has left me and I've been to scared to say my wife has left me."

"We are planning on bringing her in at the end of the week, putting her in the field on Sunday with you."

"Good, but you better be careful Burns she is going to be piss when you bring her in, more so since I've been gone close to a month."

"You have some real trust issues don't you?"

"Well if you had any idea of what we were put through on the job and personally when we first did this job you would understand why both of us were not impressed last time we had to do it."

"Ok I will collect her for you and bring her in and up to date."

"Good, now I must go I have a lunch meeting with Pete to go over his first shipment. At least I can tell him my wife will be back arriving back on Sunday." He replies before walking out of the office and a driver returning him back to his place of work.

_Thank god I get to see Jen on Sunday, she's not going to be happy that she's been kept out of the dark, but when she finds out that it was to see if we could get this guy on board before bringing her in she should understand. I hope. I just hope she understood my note. She should've had though. At least she knows that I'm undercover and who as and that she'll soon be with me but not in the way she would like. I just hope we're not undercover for too long. As I don't know how long I can keep my hands to myself when it comes to Jen and being in the same bed as her._ Nick thinks to himself on his way back to work as Wesley Claybourne.

* * *

><p>Friday morning everyone gets a call to a crime scene, everyone arrives par Jennifer<p>

"Anyone seen or heard from Jennifer today?" asks Matt once they are back at Homicide

"No Sarg we haven't" replies Duncan, Rhys and Allie all at the same time.

"Lucy have you?" asks Matt

"No sorry" she replies. _Ok Nick goes away and now Jen is nowhere to be found. Something is up wonder what it is._

"Ok let's just get on with things I will track her down what do we have so far…." Matt goes on and the team give him the details they have so far about the case.

Towards the end of the briefing Waverley enters.

"Ok guys as of today Detective Mapplethorpe is on leave, length of time unknown. I know it does not help having both her and Buchanan off the team Matt, but it is the way things are."

"Ma'am has she given any reason for this unexplained leave and why she never came to me?"

"Sorry Matt. Now get to it you've got a homicide to solve." She says as she leaves.

"What's the bet, those two are undercover again." Allie quietly says.

"What makes you say that Allie?" asks Matt

"Matt they refusing to tell you what is going on and you're our Sarg, they just both disappear without warning or telling anyone, what else could it be."

"They could just be dealing with family stuff Allie."

"Yes they could, anyway no sitting around gossiping about where the two of them are, now get to work we have a case to solve." Matt says before leaving he heads off to Waverley's office to find out what he can.

"Ok where are Nick and Jen?" he says when he enters

"Sorry Matt I can't tell you."

"Well what about the team they starting to wonder what is going on, you and I both know that they been undercover before, even together are they back undercover?"

"Sorry Matt I can't tell you anything because I don't know anything. All I know is they're both on leave for an unknown length of time. Sorry Matt but that is all I have for now." Matt storms out of the office not at all impressed.

* * *

><p>The night before, Waverley is in her office when she receives a phone call informing her that Mapplethorpe is working the SIS till further notice.<p>

"What Mapplethorpe and Buchanan are working for the SIS again, after what happened last time I thought they be no use to them, their cover would have been bloody blown wide open." Says Jarvis.

"Well I thought the same but I have been informed that their cover was never blown last time around. And this assignment I have been told is totally different and not related to the last case they worked on."

"Well I hope that pomp's prick McAllister is not running it."

"No Jeremy Byrnes is running it this time, he promise me that this operation is far better organised than the last one they worked on, and he said they are armed also."

"Some relief then, but still two dam good detectives down for an unknown length of time." Says Wolfe

"I know it's not good for the team or us, we do have what's her name Detective Lucy Smith to help out." Waverley says to the two guys in her office.

"Yea but she's not like Buchanan or Mapplethorpe, let's just hope we get no high profile case while the two of them are away." Replies Jarvis.

"Look we just have to do our best with what we have. If we need overtime then let me know I will authorise it for the big cases."


	3. Chapter 3

It is Friday morning and Jen has been up for about twenty minutes she has just gotten dressed after having her shower when there is a knock on the door, she goes to answer it.

"Oh god not you." She replies when she sees Byrnes at the door he makes his way inside shutting the door before talking to her again

"Finish getting ready, you're coming with me."

"What about breakfast."

"Already have it in the car for you." She shakes her head and goes off to finish getting ready, getting some shoes on as well.

An hour later they arrive at the SIS location.

"So what am I doing here?"

"You received some flowers from Nick correct?"

"Yes I did, he's back under cover was Wesley Claybourne again isn't he?"

"Yes"

"So why the hell did he go under without me?" she says crossly to him

"Read all this it will tell you everything, you in the field in two days' time. Oh and by the way, a hairdresser will be here later to add extensions to your hair, we want you to have longer hair."

"Byrnes don't walk away from me. Why the hell wasn't I told what the hell was going on before now? If Nick is under cover as Wesley Claybourne I had a right to know as the other half of that duo, plus he's my partner. Why did it take Nick sending me flowers to find out where the hell he was."

"It was for your own safety, but also we wanted to make sure we could get the contact to agree to using Claybourne shipping, and after last time I thought it was best to leave you out of it for now. Now go get reading you've got a lot to catch up on. Your joining Nick on Sunday morning." He replies and walks away, Jen shakes her head.

"Byrnes, I prefer not to be doing this. Last time I was shot at, and the first time was hell how can you make sure we don't go through hell again?"

"What we are hoping for is that you both run the company you get friendly with the contact became friends and maybe he lets slip some things, this time around you should be safer I have a number of SIS trained and other trained personal are going to be around. Everything you need to know is in those files."

_For Christ sakes the damn SIS have no respect for others with real lives, now I have all this to learn before Sunday and hair extensions, I hate long hair, I prefer short hair, maybe I can get the person to have it just below shoulder length it won't be too long that way._

The next two days are busy for Jen, learning everything that Nick had to learn and more, she has to get up to date on what has been happening while she has been away. As she is reading the info she relaxes some about what is involved, they don't have to do as much snooping around for information, they mainly there to look pretty. _Ok I think I can do this, with Nick by my side I should be able too, this is different to last time well sort of, Oh who the hell am I kidding._ She thinks to herself.

For Nick his Friday night is spent at the club with Pete, enjoying the view of the young woman dancing and chatting away with Pete, about all sorts of different things. Pete was extremely pleased to hear that Trish was returning on Sunday. It was another late night for Wesley arriving home at 3am on Saturday morning, he heads off to bed to sleep.

Sunday morning Wesley is woken by the doorbell going, he gets up and goes and answers it.

"Jimmy what you doing here?"

"I thought I would let you know I will accept the job offer, I be at work at 9am tomorrow, but right now I'm off to bed."

"What you're not been to bed yet?"

"Hell no, it was a rocking night last night at the club."

"Remember Jimmy, you can't be up all night during the week?"

"I know boss only Friday and Saturdays can I do all nighties unless we have a shipment due in." He replies as he walks off, leaving Wesley shaking his head as he closes the door. He looks at the time noticing he has an hour to have a shower, dress breakfast then go get the other half of himself, this makes him smile.

Two hours later he is waiting at the airport for Jen/Trish. He was told this was to be the pick-up point for her, to make it look more real if he was followed or not. The flight from Sydney had landed ten minutes ago and he was waiting patiently for her to get off the plane and get her luggage, but for him it was more personal than that it was Jen the love of his life the one person how he wants a future with, to marry have children and now this damn SIS cover is prolonging it yet again. But he either does as he is told or be in prison for real.

Jen walks out to the area where her bag will be, and Nick too. They both spot each other at the same time, they look each other in the eyes, as the agents that are guarding them watch they can tell there is more to these two or they can damn well act extremely well. Trish collects her bag and walks up to Wesley, they hug then kiss, a long lingering kiss on the lips.

"I missed you." he whispers in her ear as they hug again. She says nothing they pull apart and he sees a few tears falling down, he brushes them away, then gives her another kiss on the lips.

"Let's get going." He says taking her bag in one hand and wrapping his other arm around her waist, she puts her arm around his waist and leans into his side.

Once in the car, Jen finally finds her voice. She is in shock that they have a nice car to drive.

"I was so worried." She gets out.

"Hey no need to be worried." He says then leans closer to her, before whispering something into her ear, which makes her smile.

"So did you like the flowers?"

"Yes I did thank you." The rest of the trip back to the house is in silence both enjoying being in each other's company that talking wasn't needed.

Once they reach the house and walk inside Jen can't help herself.

"You managered to keep it pretty clean and tidy I see."

"Ha ha thanks for your vote of confidence my dear." He replies back to her.

"I got you your milk yesterday it's in the fridge with your other stuff, I'll just go put your bag in the room." He replies to her as he walks off, she walks around the home looking at everything. Taking note of where things are, she then heads to the bedroom where she finds Nick unpacking her bag.

"Hey you don't need to do that."

"It's the least I can do how have you been apart from worried?"

"Oh been enjoying listening to stories told by Lucy Brown she has some interesting things to say about you."

"Really." He replies as he walks over towards where she is standing and wraps his arms around her waist, hers going around his neck.

"We have a bigger bed this time." She smiles at his remark and shakes her head.

"Look you've read the Intel, but we going to have to up it a notch with how we act with each other."

"In what way?"

"I noticed that Pete prefers being with couples who show their affection for each other. In his club all the couples he has had around him, regardless if married or not show a lot of affection to each other, are you going to be able to handle that, because I don't want him getting suspious of us." He says to her quietly

"Yea I can handle that not like we not done it all before."

"Also one other thing I seem to get visitors a lot here at the house so we going to have to stick to Trish and Wesley no real names." Jen takes a deep breath.

"How dangerous is this?"

"Well I have a weapon, yours is in the safe. We are mainly just overseaing the business and socialising with Pete on Friday and Saturday nights at the Club unless he decides to throw a party elsewhere. So far it's been nothing like we use to have to do last time."

"So far honey things have been fine, work during the week relaxing on the weekends. But don't worry McAllister is not part of this op, Byrnes is running it all." Jen just buries herself in to his embrace, breathing in his scent, and enjoying being in his arms again.

"I know I read about it all" she mumbles into his chest, be places a kiss on the top of her head.

"The only down side is I have no idea how long we are under for."

"So our life goes on hold yet again, are we ever not undercover." She says to him before they kiss again.

"Are you going to be ok, can you handle this?"

"I think I can, at least we can be armed and your here."

"And so far I've seen no need for me to wear my weapon. I know last time wasn't easy for either of us, both times around but if we just go with being husband and wife, and not who we really are we will be fine."

During the first week of having Jen in the house the SIS team witness a number of personal moments between the pair as they played out husband and wife, they never saw any action between the sheets, if anyone was watching or peeking they would see they were any normal couple that enjoyed each other's company.

The next few weeks go by quickly, they both enjoy their nights out in the club, relaxing and letting their hair down and she was starting to like having long hair and she was also starting to be less stressed over being under cover again.

Pete then comes to them with an offer, he wants to put his own guys on the ship that brings his stuff into the country, and of course Wesley is a little unsure about this.

"Pete I'm not too sure I like to have crews who know what they doing out there, your men have they ever worked on ships, navigated through some of the reefs and channels, now anything about ports, weather and how to use the radios and other equipment on the boats."

"No not really but I would like to place my own men on the boat, think about it would you.?"

"Sure I'll think about it talk it over with Trish and see what she says."

"And were she right now?"

"Like any good looking woman off clothes shopping running up the credit card some more."

"You two seem like soul mates when you are together."

"We think the same, when apart it's not easy but when together we struggle to keep our hands to ourselves, but somehow when in this office we seem to stay professional enough."

"Oh I bet I wonder how many times you've used this desk for more than paperwork." Wesley chuckles at this remark and leans back in his chair.

"Yea I thought that was the case. But must say mate you've got excellent choice in woman, brains and beauty, and she knows just how much to use of what and when."

"Well that is Trish, and she's always been like that unless you cross her and I recommend you never do that one."

"Yes I heard from Jimmy about what she can be like."

"Are did he tell about what she did the other day?"

"Oh yes he did."

"Well he better not be giving away my trade secrets I hope."

"Nar he was just telling me I better be careful not to cross her or I might find I'm looking for a new shipping company."

"Well that is what I'm here for to make sure that doesn't happen."

"And how do you plan to do that she seems to wear the pants by the looks of things."

"With hold one thing from her and it does not take long to get her back on side with me."

"Oh you don't do you"

"Oh yes I do, I take the credit card off her, she hates that." Pete just shakes his head and laughs

"Woman." Pete says.

"I'll talk to Trish see what she thinks but we might have to run a short course for the guys you want to place on board to make sure they understand all about boats, and the area we sail, I would hate for something to happen to your men and my crew, the last thing I need is the police on my doorstep again. Once is enough thank you very much."

"No problem Wesley get back to me when you're ready."

"I will." Pete gets up and leaves Wesley office.

The whole conversation having been over heard by Byrnes who is starting to wonder if there is more to these two, personally wise. He's never seen a couple be so relaxed with each other and show their affection for each other so easily. He starts to wonder if this is why Nick got upset that Jen had not been told at the start about all this, he was worried about her the whole time. Maybe they have been having a personal relationship before this. He had seen the photos of her coming and going from his house.

Two weeks later Pete's men are now on the boat that brings in his shipments. Nick and Jen have no idea what his men are doing when out on the boat, but that is ok as the SIS have the boat fitted out with the gear it needs to be able to listen in and record what is needed, plus they have their own men in place as well.


	4. Chapter 4

It had been six months since Nick went on leave, and five months since Jennifer also went on leave. The homicide team were busy doing what comes naturally to them, even thought they were worried about where their friends were, even more so no one would tell them anything. Matt kept saying he had no idea where they are or what either one of them were doing. As the team answer another case, everything will fall into place for them, they will get answers.

* * *

><p>For Jen the time undercover has opened up old wounds, from the time they were first undercover as Trish and Wesley Claybourne. Even though this operation they are working on is less dangerous Jen still can't get rid of some of the things that she saw the first time around. Being undercover was not helping her to forget the things she saw.<p>

Nick was sure Jen was reliving some of what they went through, he even at times struggled with it, but for her she saw a bit more than she should have had to deal with, and live knowing some things she would never be able to change no matter what.

* * *

><p>The Homicide team start to look into a victim found murdered, but are unable to figure out who he is, all they find on him is a business type card for a night club in town, It's a popular club in town, often lines waiting to get in and also larger than most of the clubs in town. Matt decides due to the size of the club to send Allie, Rhys, Duncan and Lucy in to find out what they can.<p>

They arrive at the club, with it being a Friday night the club is already buzzing at 9pm. Lucy and Duncan head straight to the bar, Rhys and Allie start talking to the bouncers and ask to see the club owner, who takes them to Pete.

"Sir, there are two Detectives here wanting to speak to you?" all three turn to look at the bouncer.

"Bring them on up John." He nods his head. As they hear footsteps coming up the stairs Wesley kisses Jen to side track her from what is happening.

"Sir Detective Kingston, and Detective Levitt, we would like to speak to you." _Oh shit I hope they don't blow our cover _Nick and Jen think to themselves, they break away from their kiss and Jen places one on the side of Nick's cheek. His hand wonders up her leg to her thigh

"Why don't you two sit down before we talk would you like a drink, my names Pete." Allie and Rhys see who is with Pete, they know them but decide to play dumb they must be undercover again they both think to themselves.

"No thank you, but can we talk alone." Asks Allie, she notices how Jen is sitting on Nick's lap and how they are holding each other, and more so where Nick's hand is sitting.

"Oh no it's ok anything you can ask me you can say in front of Trish and Wes, so what can I do for you two fine detectives."

"This man was found murdered today we found this on him, do you know him?" Allie says as she shows them the picture of Henry, all three are in shock.

"Yes I do he works for me as well as for Trish and Wesley."

"In what way did he work for you Mr..." Allie asks, Rhys notices Jen whispering to Nick and him then smiling, Rhys also notices how Nicks hand wonders up Jens thigh to her hip, pulling her closer to him. _"They better not say a damn thing; move your hand up my leg."_ Jen whispers into Nick's ear making him smile

"Oh Sorry Pete Tripp, but just call me Pete please. Trish, Wes we have two detectives here try and be more polite." Pete replies having notice what the two are up too. They just smile at Pete.

"Detectives he work here as a guard, I'd have him on the floor making sure that everyone was ok, if there was any trouble he would let the bouncers or the bar guys know, he was slim and moved well made it easier for him to fit in and go with the flow."

"How long did he work for you?"

"He still does, but he just took two weeks off for personal matters. Been with me for about a year maybe longer."

"And his name?"

"Henry Clark, he worked here with me from Thursday to Sunday morning and then for Trish and Wes the rest of the week."

"Wesley and Trish Claybourne." Replies Wesley

"And your business name?"

"Claybourne Shipping."

"And his role?"

"He worked on the docks helping with the unloading of cargo and then freighting it to our customers." Replies Trish

"Was he a good worker?"

"Yes he was. No complaints to my knowledge. Wesley honey when you employed him while I was away was there any complaints about him?"

"Nope not at all, excellent worker just wish all our workers were like him."

"Do either of you have an address of where he lived?" Pete shakes his head.

"I do at the office." Replies Trish

"Do either of you know of anyone who might want have wanted him dead?" All three shake their heads.

"No sorry not that we know of, but he was a hit with the ladies, Pete get Jimmy up here he might be of more help to these two detectives." Replies Trish. Pete gets one of his guards to go bring Jimmy up to the group.

While the guard is off getting Jimmy, Jen/Trish gets up off Nick/Wesley's lap, and takes his hand he also gets up they start to head off.

"Now you two where are you off too?" asks Pete

"To dance what else, don't get too jealous ok, we won't be long." Trish says, Wesley behind her with his hands on her hips.

"I won't, Jenny should be here soon anyway to join us." Pete replies with a smile on his face. The two detectives and Pete watch them head to the dance floor not far from them. Allie and Rhys follow them with their eyes and watch what goes on, not to long later Jimmy is with them.

They ask Jimmy a number of questions, Allie every so often looks past Pete to where Nick and Jen are dancing. Even Rhys looks at them a couple of times. Pete then gets his guard to go bring them back as Rhys and Allie have some more questions for them. They ask a few more questions before deciding to leave.

"Thank you for your time all of you if we can get some contact details as we will need to be in touch again over the course of the investigation."

"Sure here's our business card." Replies Wesley as he gets his wallet out of his back pocket and gets a business card out of it and hands it over while Pete does the same thing.

"Came again both of you, next time I will shout you both a round. Just tell the bouncers my name and you'll be escorted right up to here the best seats in the house." Replies Pete

"Thank you again" the two detectives head off down the stairs they meet up with Duncan.

On the ground floor, Lucy caught sight of Nick and Jen, not long after the detectives had entered the club, she saw them kissing, then moving to the dance floor in between talking to different people in the club, she is again watching them and how they are acting with each other on the upper floor. _How dear she dance with him like she was, and handle him like that, I would love to go up there and see what is going on and talk to them both._

As she goes to move to the stairs to go up top Duncan grabs her arm. After Allie telling him they had to leave ASAP.

"We have to get out of here." he whispers to her. As he takes her arm to lead her out of the club.

The all get into the car.

"SHIT, Shit, Shit" Allie says once all the doors are shut.

"What's gotten up your nose Allie?" asks Duncan

"Nick and Jen they under cover, and what's a bet tomorrow morning we will no longer be working on this case."

"Under cover yea right" replies Lucy

"Shut up Smith." Replies Allie to her crossly

"Allie calm down."

"No Duncan, Nick and Jen are under cover again I just damn well hope we didn't blow their cover, thank god Rhys and I went to talk to the club owner they were with him, our victim works for both the club and for the company that Nick and Jen run."

"Why what would have been wrong with me going?"

"Smith you don't have any idea what they are doing, who they are being right now, and who they are working for, you would have blown it all, there is a lot you don't know about those two." Replies Rhys as they are driving back to Homicide

"But it does explain Jen's jumpiness just before she went on leave after those flowers turned up." Says Allie

"They must have been from Nick then." Duncan says

"I would say so warning her of what was about to happen." Comes from Allie

The rest of the car ride back is in silence. The three main ones hoping like hell they not blown their friends cover.

Lucy though is thinking other things l_ike I would have blown their cover come on, I'm not that stupid, and like they are under cover who does that shit anymore. Anyway why Jennifer, why not take me or Allie or someone else. Something sounds fishy here._

The team head back to Homicide then home.

* * *

><p>Nick and Jen have just arrived back home after their night out.<p>

"I damn well hope our cover wasn't blown tonight" replies Jen

"I doubt it, those two seem to have played dumb pretty well."

"Yea they did, didn't they?"

"But I think because they know we have done undercover work before together they would of clicked to that straight away."

The two get in to bed, and curl up into each other. Both knowing came morning things will be different.

Following morning the Claybournes are woken by the phone ringing, Nick picks it up and listens to who is on the other end.

"Hey time to get up we need to head off in about an hour to go to the office." he replies to her.

"Can't we stay here in bed?"

"No sorry we got to get the info for those detectives."

"Oh shit." She replies before getting up and they both get ready, they quickly eat breakfast before heading off to the office to collect what they have to provide to the detectives.

* * *

><p>At Homicide Waverley got called in early by Byrnes, until the homicide team turned up at the club they had no idea that one of the workers was dead.<p>

"Look I know you really don't won't me here but your latest case is somehow hooked up with our SIS investigation and if we're not careful covers will be blown. I need Nick and Jen to be able to come in and not be spoken to as Nick and Jen. They are Wesley and Trish Claybourne."

"Ok I can get that under way. What else do you need?"

"I need to brief your team and talk to them before they do anything else, Nick and Jen will be bringing in information for your guys on what they have on this guy, I need to be involved just in case he is killed via one of the guys in the cell we are dealing with."

"Ok let's go then and brief the team." Replies Waverley, they leave her office and head towards Homicide.

Before long everyone has arrived.

"Ok everyone, this is Jeremy Byrnes from SIS, somehow yesterday's homicide has crossed into there on going SIS operation so we will be working alongside them again. Now I can't stress this enough but any information on or about this case is classified. I will now hand you over to Mr Byrnes."

"Thank you Commander. Right first and foremost for you lot is that I have Buchanan and Mapplethorpe back under cover, I can't stress enough how important it is not to address them in their real names at present they are Trish and Wesley Claybourne of Claybourne shipping. _(he says while pointing to a photo of the two of them.)_ We can't afford for their cover to be blown right now, if you do blow their cover you will be putting their lives and lives of several others at risk. I understand last night four of you detectives went to this club, where the victim works, we until you guys arrived had no idea he was dead and thank you Kingston and Levitt for not blown the cover last night, I know keeping you guys out of the loop is not easy for you guys but it is best for all. Henry Clark was not part of the SIS team, or in the cell we are tracking. He seemed to be just a standard normal person with no links to anyone we know of. But this does not mean our cell did not do this…" Byrnes goes on more about the cell and what they have been up too. But he had little information on Henry Clark the victim of yesterday's murder.


	5. Chapter 5

An hour later everyone was filing out of the meeting room. Allie notices the arrival of two people being escorted in by an uniformed officer.

"Mr and Mrs Claybourne thank you for coming in and bringing in the information we requested. If you would like to follow me please I'll show you where to go." Replies Allie. Byrnes hears how Allie is talking and is please that she is playing along with it all. But for Byrnes one of the Detectives Lucy Smith something about her seemed off to him, but he could not place what it was, he decided to keep a close eye on her.

The three leave the homicide area and head to another area of the building to go over things. Nick though does catch the sight of someone he wished he never see again, forgetting that Jen had told him she was working there now.

"Allie thanks for not saying anything last night" Nick whispers to her, once in the elevator.  
>"No problem at least we now, know you're both are safe and sound." She quickly replies.<br>"Oh and be careful of Lucy." Nick whispers back, Allie looks at him weirdly.  
>"I'll explain once we join the real world again." The lift doors then open, and they follow Allie.<p>

They end up in an interview room.

"Ok this is everything we have on him, now Jimmy said that there was a fight three days ago at work, someone came to see him. It was later that day he asked for two weeks off for personal matters. Trish and I were out on a business lunch, Jimmy witnesses it so he will be able to tell you more, but he told us that, that this CD will have the person on it, a recording of the events that happened that day."

"Do you often keep recordings?"

"Yes we do, we record everything that happens on our yard. At present we have all recordings from when we started the business back up. It's helped keep our insurance premiums down, plus we are able to go over them if there are any issues that customers bring to us."

"How would you say Henry was at work?"

"He was an excellent worker. He was already working for Pete Tripp before we employed him, he seemed a great kid, and Jimmy thought he be good to have on board as well. We had no idea anything had happened to him till you guys arrived. Have you got in contact with his parents yet, I really should have rung them last night and told them." Replies Nick/Wesley

"Yes, someone has informed them this morning."

They talk some more about what they know of the victim and if they can think of any one that might do it, they are lead out of the interview room and as they pass one of the side rooms, Henrys mother sees them. She comes out of the room which has Lucy and Duncan in it. Byrnes happens to be walking past them, making sure a close eye is kept on Lucy and also Nick and Jen.

"Trish, Wesley." She says as she exits out of the room.

"Adele, we're so sorry, he was a great kid." replies Trish as she gives her a hug; Henry's father Mike gives Wesley a hand shake. Lucy listens on.

"Why don't you two come over to our house for dinner tonight, were having a cocktail party you guys are more than welcome to stay for that as well?" Trish says to them

"We would love too but we have family over, Henry's grandmother passed away four days ago. The funeral was yesterday, it explains why Henry never showed up, we just thought he was with you guys working so we didn't worry about it when he never turned up." The others notice how she didn't seem to know he was on leave, and thought he had returned to work. Nick and Jen say nothing in return to her comment.

"Trish honey we better head off we've got a few things to do before tonight, Detectives if you need to contact us you have our information just give us a ring but tonight would properly not be a good idea." Replies Nick as he slips his arm around Jen and they are lead out of the building, Lucy paying close attention to the two of them as they walk away. She notices how close they stand together and how natural it seems for them to be playing the role of husband and wife. Allie walks with them, even though she knows they know where to go, this way it looks more honest.

Back in the homicide area away from suspects and family members, the crew are working on leads, back ground checks and alike.

"Seeing those two working undercover is interesting. If I didn't know them I would think they were husband and wife." Replies Duncan

"You should have seen them last night Duncan." Says Rhys, shaking his head with a smile on his face.

"Really what were they doing?"

"Well if they weren't shagging before they went undercover, they sure are now." Replies Rhys with a smirk on his face

"Are no they wouldn't, would they, oh yea Nick's hand was a tad low on Jens hip wasn't it." replies Duncan, Lucy is listening in to the conversation

"Duncan they were unable to keep their hands off each other last night, they were even kissing, and not just a quick kiss either, passionate long kisses. His hands were all over her, and when they were dancing man, no wonder the SIS have them undercover they good, very good. And shit Jen can dance."

"No they not good guys they are the best, the best the SIS have ever had working for them. They are often referred back to when training new ops, and often talked about at meetings due to the success they have brought us. Now please can we get back on track and get this murder solved so I can sleep a tad easier knowing you lot aren't going to undo months of hard work by me, your friends and our team of agents who are in the field as we speak." Says Byrnes to them.

Over the next three days more information is brought in, they get witness and statements and as they bring it together, the bigger picture becomes clear. Homicides yet again are helping the SIS out.

Twenty four hours later, five days after Henry Clark was killed the SIS is busting their cell wide open, arrests are being made all over the country. As they started talking to the suspects more information comes to light.

An arrest was also made for the killing of Henry Clark.

Lucy still could not believe that Nick and Jen had been undercover for SIS and not for the first time either. She was totally thrown by this curved ball that she had been given. _Nick, Jen undercover for the SIS, and not for the first time, what's so great about the two of them, why are they the best the SIS have ever had. I hope there is nothing going on between the two because I want to get back with Nick._

* * *

><p>For Nick and Jen it was finally over. But for the next two days they are in hiding in a safe house, while everything is being busted. Byrnes is leaving them till last to bring in on request from Nick and Jen, to make it look like someone else was the mole.<p>

"We'll be home in a few days back to our normal lives." She says as they lay in bed

"Yep, but what are we going to do about us?"

"I don't know but can we talk about once we get out of here." There is silence in the room as the two lay in the bed thinking.

"We hardly ever talk about it; we normally have a disagreement over it. I want to be with you Jen and I am happy to leave Homicide as long it means I get you."

"Can we talk about once we get home please?"

"Fine then." He replies before rolling over his back facing towards her.

_She's having second thoughts again, I should have just transferred or even best I shouldn't have taken back my resignation that was so stupid, we'd both be in a better place if I had just stuck to my guns._ Nick thinks to himself. During the night Nick wakes up and finds that Jen is asleep, he gets out of the bed and heads to the lounge, he lays down on the couch thinking. Thinking of the things that could have been, what has happened to him and the things he wished he had and could change.

Came morning Jen wakes to find the bed empty, she looks around the room and does not see Nick, she gets up and finds in in the lounge asleep on the couch. She goes to wake him up.

"What time is it?"

"Seven, why are you out here sleeping?" she asks him

"Had trouble sleeping so I came out here to think, and I must have fallen asleep. I'm just going to go have a shower." He says before getting up and going to the bathroom, leaving Jen sitting there feeling unsure where to go next. _Did I upset him last night when I asked him to drop it till we were home to talk about it? I want him to stay in Homicide he loves it there just as much as I do._

It is midmorning and they are sitting down having a drink when someone turns up to take them to Byrnes.

"Nick, Jen thank you for your help yet again."

"I hope it's the last time we have to do this Byrnes." Says Nick

"I hope so too, but it has been a pleasure working with you both."

"Did you get what you needed?"

"Yes your team at Homicide are excellent workers, they were able to get the last little bit we needed."

"Yes well our team are good like that."

"Right now it's time to take you both back."

"What about the others? What if they see us?"

"They'll all lock up right now and not at your place of work. So we will take you home, you can get changed and then we will drop you both off at work."

"Byrnes I mean it I hope this is the last time we have to do this. But if you need Homicides help with anything you know where to find us."

"Thank you."

Over the next hour they are taking home, they both shower and get changed. It is just after lunch when they arrive back at Homicide car park, they exit out of the car they have been brought in.

"Ready to return to the real world and Homicide?" asks Nick before they enter the building

"As ready as I'll ever be, but we do need to talk later."

"Sure thing but first let's get to work." He says as they enter the building and head to the Homicide floor. He can't help put place his hand on the small of her back as they enter the lift.

"Nick you got to stop doing that."

"Sorry, but five months of touching you how ever I like is, when every I like is going to be hard to break." He whispers to her, and she smiles.

"Yea true there." The lift stops and opens and they enter the homicide floor. They notice the team are missing from their desks and they aren't visable on the floor they head to their desks, and sit down.

"Well, well, well if it's not our two missing in action detectives, I hope SIS treated you better this time around." Says Jarvis as he enters the floor looking for someone.

"Yes they did thank you, so where are the rest of the team?"

"Call out, they'll be back soon sit down and enjoy some paperwork I'm sure you've got plenty to catch up on." He says as he leaves the floor, having not seen the person he was looking for.

"Some things never change do they." Replies Nick

"No they don't."

Nick and Jen are busy sitting down catching up on what is happening when the crew start to file on in again.

"Well, Well, Well if it isn't our undercover husband and wife team returning to us, we should feel so honoured to be graced with your presence." Says Duncan

"Ok Dunny enough of that please." Nick says to him.

"Well you two are pretty good at putting on a show if that night club scene was anything to go by." Says Allie

"Came on Allie I know your dying to ask them?" says Rhys

"Ask what?" asks Jen

"She wants to know if you two are finally shagging each other, because it sure looked like it the other night." Nick and Jen pass a look at each other before answer.

"Rhys undercover work is such that you got to look real and if you thought that was what was happening between us we did our job correctly didn't we honey." Replies Nick, before flicking a look towards Jen and then grinning at her. Lucy is standing off to the side listening in to the conversation.

"Yes dear we did." She throws at him for the fun of it, while shaking her head.

"Come on answer the question, are you two finally shagging?" Neither of them get a chance to reply before Matt drags them all in for a briefing.


	6. Chapter 6

They spend the afternoon going through the victim's details and Matt sends them home when it is late, for all to get some sleep.

"You going to be ok tonight?" Nick asks Jen

"Yea I should be."

"If not you know where I am."

"Thanks Nick." She replies before they all leave.

Nick has not been home long when there is a knock on the door.

"Jen honey I've told you before you don't need to knock and wait." He replies as he walks to the door, thinking it has to be her due to the hour it is. When he opens the door he is surprised to see Lucy standing there.

"Um hi"

"Hi Nick thought I would pop around and say hi and have a catch up."

"Sorry Lucy not tonight, I just want a nice quiet night at home alone."

"Oh"

"Maybe another night." Nick says to her

"Um yea, oh look you have another visitor are you going to turn her away as well?" Comes from Lucy when she sees Jen getting out of a car.

"Hi Lucy, Nick we've got briefs to go over." Jen says as she makes her way inside his house without even asking first

"I can help you two as well."

"Sorry Lucy these briefs are private you can't see them." Jen says as she turns and lifts a folder up, then turns and makes her way into the rest of the house.

"Sorry Lucy, maybe another time."

"Ok Nick I'll hold you to that. Bye"

"Bye" Nick says before closing the door then turning and making his way down to Jen.

"Can't sleep?" he says as he wraps his arms around her.

"Nope. I hate undercover work."

"Came on let's go to bed, get some sleep."

"Sounds good to me." They both head off to bed, both having a good night's sleep, the first for both of them in a long time. They may have slept when undercover but now without the worry of being busted their sleep was a lot deeper.

The next two days the team were busy chasing leads and questioning suspects in the case, before long Nick and Jen had gotten the guy to crack and confess to the murder.

"Well you two haven't lost your touch."

"Thanks Matt, nice to be back in the game again."

"So who's up for drinks tonight?" asks Duncan

"Um yea count me in, hey Matt is Detective Smith staying on with us now Jennifer and I are back?" replies Nick.

"Yes she is Waverley decided we could do with an extra set of hands on board."

"Thanks Matt" Nick says as he walks back to his desk

"Damn" Nick says to himself, Jen hears him.

"What's wrong?"

"Talk later." He whispers to her, as they move away from the desk Nick can't help but put his hand on Jens Back as he guides her to the lift, she walks while shaking her head.

Later on at the pub

"Hey Nick, Lucy been telling us some good stories about the two of you." He sits there not to happy, Jen slides her hand on to his knee under the table.

"Has she just."

"Yea she has, but anyway let's have a toast to welcome you two back and back in the game." Says Duncan. The evening goes on a few hours later they all decide to head off home.

Nick and Jen are lying in bed together at Nick's house talking.

"Jen we really need to talk about us and what we are going to do." Jen says nothing in reply.

"I understand that you love your job and you don't want to transfer and I'm fine with that. But Jen I want to be with you, I don't want to hide this from everyone. You know that I love you and I'm prepared to transfer, leave the force whatever it takes so we can be together." There is silence in the room and Jen lies on Nick's chest while he runs his hand through her hair.

"Nick were just gotten out of being undercover, how can you be sure about this working?"

"Being undercover with you again, like were made me want this more than I already did, and it worked for us before why can't it work in our real lives?" Jen says nothing.

"Think about it ok and let me know. But Jen I don't want things to stay like this, I won't to marry you at some stage, have children if you want them later on. You already know Jen from last time that for me this is not just some random fling, you mean the world to me, and I just want you in my life, but I want to be able to tell people about us." He stops talking to see if she will say anything, but she doesn't speak. He decides not to say anything else to her; he keeps running his hand through her hair.

About ten minutes later Jen decides to talk.

"What if I never want any more children?"

"That is fine with me as long as I have you."

"What if I want to push to became Commander of the Homicide squad?"

"Then I will support you all the way."

"But what if those long hours means less time for us."

"Then I will understand honey. Who better to understand than someone who's been in the job, who's seen the long hours and stress that goes with the job. Jen if that is what you want to do then do it, I do not want to hold you back from doing what you love doing, I just want to be there beside you, loving you, being there for you, and most importantly the person you came home to each night and share a bed with."

"But you'll get bored if you transfer out of Homicide."

"Yea I most likely will but it comes with the bonus of having you." Nick moves and reaches over to his side draw and puts his hand in moving it around till he gets hold of something and then pulls it out.

"I brought this before we went undercover, it was why I brought up me transferring out, and I was hoping you would agree so I could give it to you. I'm showing you this so you know just how serious I am about you. _(He passes Jen the small box and she opens it to reveal a simple Diamond ring.)_ Do you remember what I told you when they gave us those twenty minutes to say goodbye at the end of that very first undercover operation we did?" She nods her head in agreement, as she moves to a better position beside Nick

"Yes I do I've never forgotten what you said to me that day."

"What was it that I said to you then Jen?"

"That you had fallen in love with me and that you will always love me no matter where you were or who you were with, you would always be thinking of us and what could have been." She managers to say while still looking at the simple elegant ring.

There is silence between the two; Nick allows Jen time to think to absorb what is going on.

"Your serious about this aren't you?"

"Yes Jen I am we lost too much when we were undercover that very first time around. I lost the only person who has even given me that feeling of settling down, committing myself to one person for the rest of my life. We've both been through hell and back again but we did it together and I know we can make this work. Being undercover with you the last five months as you being my wife it seemed so natural, it felt so right to me." Jen snuggles back up beside Nick, she places the box on his chest as she looks at, and he does too. There is silence for several minutes.

"Ok maybe before we do anything we should talk to Commander Waverley about this and see what she says first about your job."

"When do you want to go talk to her?"

"Tomorrow is properly best."

"Ok then we do it tomorrow." They lay there Jen moves and takes the box with her and removes the ring from the box and gives it a good look over.

"You can try it out if you want to?" he softly says to her while watching her. She gentle slides it on her finger.

"It's beautiful Nick." She says, she leans over to kiss him, the kiss is deepened by both of them and before long they are enjoying the pleasure that they give each other.

A little while later, they lay curled up together. Jen looking at the ring on her finger again as they both drift off to sleep. Both with smiles on their faces.

The following morning they are both woken by their mobiles going off.

They both head off to the crime scene and get busy doing what they do best.

Several hours later back at Homicide they are briefing Wolfe and Jarvis on what they have so far.

"So what do we have so far?"

"Well the neighbours say they are a nice family, they had no issues with them but did say cars did come and go often from the house."

"What jobs?"

"He works as a mechanic and she has a teacher, both their bosses have no complaints about them both hard workers and liked by everyone." Replies Duncan

"Well there has to be something, do back ground checks, also go through their bank statements phone records let see if we can find anything that looks odd. Nick, Duncan I would like you both as leads on this case." Says Wolfe before leaving the room, the others following suit.

Nick is on the phone talking to someone when Rhys and Duncan return from checking out a lead, when Jen drops off a coffee and filled roll onto Nick's desk.

"Thanks Hun" he says to her without even thinking about where they are, and of cause Duncan and Rhys heard him. Jen try's to look cross.

"Hey Jen where's ours?" asks Duncan

"Sorry you two but you weren't here when I went to get lunch."

"So Jen why did Nick just call you Hun?" asks Rhys with a smile on his face

"I have no idea Rhys maybe you should ask him when he gets off the phone." Jen replies to him.

A few minutes later Nick is hangs up the phone.

"Ok why are you all looking at me like that?"

"Well you see here Nicky my man you called Jen Hun and we want to know why?" Replies Duncan

"Oh did I?" he says sounding surprised

"Yes you did."

"Oh well I'm sorry about that it must of just slipped out. Must still be in undercover mode." Nick says just brushing it off. But for Duncan and Rhys they are sure there is more to it, as Jen didn't seem to make a fuss over it either and she just let it pass by.

Nick and Jen keep on working under the watchful eye of Rhys and Duncan. When Nick and Jen head off to get themselves a hot drink again. Rhys starts to talk

"Something is defiantly going on between those two."

"What makes you say that Oxford?"

"Well when Duncan and I got back just after lunch, Jen passed Nick his lunch and he said thanks Hun and they both just brushed it off as if it was like an everyday thing for them."

"And he said he was still in undercover mode." Adds Duncan. Lucy hears what they are saying. They stop talking when they see the two of them coming back to their desks Jen is on the phone.

"Ok thanks for that." Jen says before hanging up the phone.

"What's up?" asks Nick

"You know that kid we questioned at the crime scene this morning, well he's gone missing." Nick looks at Jen; he knows she gets emotionally attacked to these types of cases.

"Jen" Nick says she can tell his warning voice.

"Nick he was scared this morning, I know he wanted to say something but he seemed afraid, scared to say something, like if he did something would happen. I should have brought him in."

"Jennifer we had no real reason to bring him. Nothing to link him to the crime scene." Replies Nick. Before anyone else can say anything. Someone walks on to the homicide floor followed by another person.

"Mapplethorpe, Buchanan I have someone here to see you both." Says Waverley. Nick and Jen both turn to the voice and notice the person standing beside her.

"Chris nice to see you again." Says Nick

"Is there anywhere private we can go to talk you two?"

"Yes but we do have a case to get too." Replies Jen

"Mapplethorpe I think the others can take the case."

"Ma'am will all due respect the case is related to this morning's case and I would like to go to the scene, surely Nick can relay back to me any information Chris has to say."

"Chris can you wait say an hour or so or would you prefer we reschedule till tomorrow?" asks Nick looking at Jen.

"It will only take five minutes of your time then you can head off to your crime scene." Says Chris

Nick and Jen start walking and Chris follows them. Once in the lift Chris informs them of what he needed to tell them. They part and go about their normal business.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Sorry for the delay in getting an update done on this story got sided tracked well my muse got side tracked with only story. Anyway here is another update I will try and do updates a tad more often than I have for this story so far. :)**_

* * *

><p>"Jen you got to distance yourself from this, don't take it to personal."<p>

"I can't help it Nick, I just do seeing kids afraid, scared of something pulls me in more." She replies while in the car on the way to the scene.

They arrive and Ronnie is already there.

"Hi you two, this was no accident, he was pushed off the bridge." Comes from Ronnie

"And you can tell that how?"

"He has a number of defensive bruises on him; he tried to fight his attacker."

"Crime scene found anything on the bridge yet?"

"Yes some scuff marks but that is all so far. Time of death was about four to five hours ago, he had no chance of surviving the fall form that bridge onto these rocks, if he had been 50metres that a way the water might of saved him." Ronnie says to them both.

"So that means he was killed about an hour or two after I spoke to him." She shakes her head and walks away from the two.

"She always gets effect by crimes on young children like this." Ronnie says in passing as she works on the body.

"Yes she does." Replies Nick.

"Do you know why?" Ronnie asks

"And you're asking me, why?"

"Well you two seem close and you've worked together, thought you might have a better understanding of why she gets like this when kids are involved."

"Nar sorry I don't really know the reason why." _Well I do know the reason but that is between Jen and me and no one else _Nick thinks to himself. He walks over to where Jen is standing.

"The guy walking his dog found him and reported it in. The uniforms are looking for any evidence that we might need." He says to her he waits for a response but gets nothing so keeps on talking.

"Jen I think we should head back crime scene will send us their report and Ronnie will do her thing we should track down the parents and let them know."

"Yea ok." She says as they start to walk away.

"Ronnie you'll do your usual for us?" asks Nick

"Sure will you two." She replies as she watches the two walking away.

"I know Nick, I should get so emotional over these types of cases but I just can't help it." She says to him once they are in the car.

"I know you can't help it, but you've got to draw a line and not cross it, some emotion is good but not too much." He says while he drives off heading back to Homicide.

They arrive at Homicide and track down where he lives, but finds no one there so they leave a message for them to contact them at homicide. Nick and Jen then head back to homicide to help the team work through more of the case.

They work through ideas, suspects, people of interested and around midnight Matt sends them all home to sleep, and having found a few leads that might be of help.

The following morning everyone arrives early, they bring in two of the people of interest and the young boy's parents arrive to talk to Jen and Nick.

"Where was Brad meant to be yesterday?"

"He was meant to be staying with my daughter, his aunt."

"So you aren't his parents then?"

"No we're his grandparents, we have custody of Brad."

The meeting goes on for a little while, Nick and Jen getting as much information as they can from the grandparents. They find out that both his parents are now dead, and that Brads mum had him at sixteen and that he has always lived with his grandparents while his parents finished school then worked to help look after him.

"So how did you two get on with Brad Stringers parents?" asks Duncan

"Well Dunny they're his grandparents his parents have passed away, he was meant to be with his Aunt yesterday, but around the time that the murder was called in he would have been passing that house on his way to school, the Aunt lives two blocks away from the scene. All we can think of is he was in the wrong place at the wrong time and saw something and was killed because of it, what about you guys any luck?" Replies Nick.

"Well we found out that this person hates our victim to the point where they have threatened to kill the victim on a number of occasions. Ally and Lucy are bringing him in now, he has a record too." Says Dunny

"Sounds good hey I was thinking that maybe tonight we should all met at my place have a few drinks some food and have a good old catch up with the crew and maybe get Matt to come along as well." Says Nick

"Yea it's been ages since we've all had a good night of drinking and fun."

"Well I let everyone know about it say seven and if you want to you can bring your sister along?"

"Sounds good and I will ask her about it."

The two get back to work. Jen comes over with a hot drink for Nick and then says a few things about the case to him.

"God you two can you stop bringing each other hot drinks, it will get everyone talking if they aren't already."

"Sorry Dunny would you like me to get you one too?" replies Jen

"No thank you Jen."

"Anyway Ronnie just rang the DNA under the finger nails of Brad our second victim match that of the samples taken from under the finger nails of our murder victim. We just need something to compare them too."

"We should be able to get a warrant for our preps DNA that we got coming in. I'll go ask Matty." Says Nick. He goes off to ask Matty about the warrant and also informs him about tonight. And he agrees to coming over, after Nick tells him it is about being mates not work.

They bring the guy in get his DNA and send it off to compare to the sample, about an hour into the interview he starts to crack under the pressure Freeman and Buchanan put on him. Half an hour later he is spilling his guts about what he did to both victims.

Later that afternoon up in Homicide Nick is in the kitchen talking to Rhys and Allie, when Lucy walks in, the other two leave.

"Nick I was wondering since we've closed this case if you wanted to go out tonight?"

"No thank you but you can come around; say seven bring something to drink."

"That would be nice should I bring anything else?"

"Nope I have everything sorted out for tonight already." He says as he leaves the room heading to his desk. Matt joins them

"Good work team on the results you got today. Now you all can head off early today and we shall see you all later on." He says to the team.

Two hours later Nick is home from going to the supermarket to pick up what was needed, when Jen turns up.

"Your late" he says after opening the door and seeing her there.

"Sorry my mum rang." She replies as she walks in he closes the door behind her and wraps an arm around her before placing a kiss on her lips.

"You're going to have to be a good boy tonight."

"Don't remind me, did you get those briefs off to Byrnes yet?"

"Nope you forgot to sign the damn things." She says while passing him the folder with them in.

"Sorry."

"Yes you should be. Anyway what we making for dinner?"

"I got potatoes in the oven already going to do a couple of stir-fry's do you want to help?'

"And leave you to do all the cooking no thanks."

The two get working in the kitchen chopping vegetables and meat for the stir fry while the potatoes cook in the oven.

"So are you going to tell me about this Lucy and how she knows you so well?"

"We went to school together well she was a year behind me we went out a few times nothing major, and then she joined the force after I did. We somehow got the same posting."

"So why do you hate her?"

"When at school she would not stop stalking me till I went out with her so I gave in, she reckons she loved me and wanted to marry me and everything, she didn't like it when I told her I was far too young for settling down not when I had a plan of what I was going to do. Then when she got posted to the same place as me she said fate had brought us back together and that her feelings had never changed for me. I told her there was nothing between us. I got transferred and hardly saw her for a few more years then when I got transferred six months before we went undercover that first time I got sent to the same station as her I was not impressed, she started up again with all this fate stuff and any woman who looked at me she would warn them off saying that I was with her, I've been waiting for her to do something like that to you since we spend so much time together. She has never understood the word no from me all that well."

"So what do you feel for her?"

"Nothing at all, I don't like her or trust her. Something about her worries me but sadly she is good at what she does. I just wished she not been sent here, and she has nothing against as Allie puts it screwing the crew." This makes Jen laugh

"Yea I know I'm already am but with you it is not about the sex it's far more deeper." He says to her as they start getting the last of the prep done for the stir fry's.

"Maybe we should talk to Waverley about this." Jen says

"Well we were going too yesterday but we never got around to it and now she is away for a few days."

"Jen just be careful of her I'm not sure how far she will go, each time she gets worse than the time before."

"Don't worry I can defend myself."

"I know you can. I just don't want you to lose your job over her."

"I won't, and who the hell is here early." She says in reply. When she hears someone knocking on Nicks door.

"I bet it is Lucy." Replies Nick as he leans in and gives Jen a kiss, which she deepens.

"That's to get you through the evening. You get the door and I'll check the potatoes?"

"Sure thing I better go answer that." He says before giving her one more finally kiss before he heads off to the door to find out who it is.

"Dunny what are you doing here early?" Nick says as he opens the door to find Duncan on the other side.

"I overheard Lucy talking to someone saying she was going to come early so I thought I would arrive before her so you don't get caught in a bad spot." Duncan says as they walk down the hall way to the lounge area

"Thanks Dunny, where's your sister?"

"She's already engaged for the night. Hi Jen."

"Hi Duncan." She replies while placing the potatoes back in the oven.

"Where do you want these?"

"Sit them over there." Replies Nick as he goes back into the kitchen to help Jen with the stir fry's.

"Cooking Nick. I didn't know you could cook or did you pay Jen to come and help you out?"

"Surprising Duncan he can cook which I know is strange but he can and he is good too." Replies Jen as she starts things off in the woks on the stove.

"Anyway you two what is going with you two you've both been all happy as since coming back from undercover?"

"There is nothing to tell."

"Yea right you two I can tell there is more to you two than what you are letting on. I won't tell anyone I promise."

"Duncan."

"Come on why do you think I turned up early I knew Jen would be here and I didn't want Lucy having a go at you both. So came on spill."

"Ok there is something going on but don't tell anyone or you will not be found." Jen says to him

"Scouts honour. So how long has it been going on?" They are interrupted by the door going again. Nick goes to answer the door. Jen shakes her head.

"None of your business Dunny." She replies to him.

When he opens it he finds Lucy on the other side.

"Hope you don't mind me turning up a little early for dinner?" she says as she tries to kiss him on the cheek but he moves so she can't

"No not at all Duncan and Jennifer are already here." He says allowing her to enter

"Oh I thought it would be just us two."

"Lucy don't, tonight is a night with the team we use to do it often before Jen and I went undercover. You can either stay or go your choice but do not make this all about you." He says to her before they walk down the hall way.


	8. Chapter 8

"Came on Jen I want more details." Says Duncan

"Dunny you should know we can't say anything. What happens undercover stays undercover." Nick says as they get closer. Duncan sits their smiling at him.

Not long later Allie, Rhys and Matt turn up.

"Hey Nick when did you learn to cook or did you pay someone else to do it for you?" asks Matt when he sees him in the kitchen with Jen.

"What is it with you and Duncan thinking I can't cook?"

"Well that is because we've never seen you cook before Nick, but we know Jen can cook." Matt replies.

"Matt he can cook and he can cook pretty well." She replies as she gets plates and stuff out and puts them on the table, Allie helping set them out around the table for Jen.

They eat dinner and make small talk over the dinner table. Everyone very impressed with what Nick had managered to cook up. The boys did the dishes while the girls sat at talked. There is a knock on the door. And Nick heads off to answer it.

He opens the door to find Byrnes on the other side.

"Hello Byrnes what do you want?"

"Those reports you and Jennifer should have had done by now I would like them please?" He says Nick opens the door and gestures to him to enter and he follows.

"Jen the reports for Byrnes where are they?"

"They in your office, but they need your signature on them have you done that yet?" She replies as she gets up and all three of them head into the office. About ten minutes later the three came back out and Byrnes leaves. The rest of the evening is spent with them all drinking and talking about things in general more the case catching Jen and Nick up on what has been going while they were away. Around 11pm Allie and Rhys head off, Duncan and Matt stay since Lucy doesn't seem to want to leave, even after a suggestion about they all should head home was made, so Nick offers them the spare beds

"Matt, Duncan, Lucy there are three beds up stairs, go find which ones you want in which room." He says as he directs them upstairs

Jen is getting ready to leave but is stopped by Nick.

"No way are you leaving me here with her, you're staying and staying in my bed." He whispers in her ear.

"Nick?'

"I don't really care I know Matt and Duncan will stay quiet for us but Lucy might try and came into my room, seeing another body in my bed with me might keep her away. Also did you lock the office door?"

"Yes I did." She replies

"Good." Nick finishes locking up the house before heading to his room where Jen is already in bed. He quickly changes before jumping into bed and curling up with her.

"Night honey." He says as he gives her a kiss on the head, she moves so she can look at him and moves herself up some so they can kiss properly.

"Night Nick" she says after they break away from their kiss she snuggles back down into his chest before they both drift off to sleep.

Upstairs Matt and Duncan have commandeered one room while Lucy is in the other. Matt has already clicked on to Jen and Nick having more than a professional working relationship but as it is not affecting their work he is not worried about it, he is just pleased to see the two are happy. Even if he liked Jen at one stay, they are his mates, his friends and their happiness is important to him.


	9. Jen talks to Waverley

Morning arrives and Matt and Duncan are woken by Matt's phone going off. Matt gets up and wakes Lucy up first and tells her to head home and get changed as they have a case, she quickly gets up and leaves, not even thinking about where Jen is or Nick.

While in Nick's room his mobile goes off with a message from Duncan.

"**Stay in your room, Matt is getting rid of Lucy."** He smiles and then passes his phone to Jen who then snuggles up closer to Nick, as they both lay there waiting to hear Lucy leave.

Five minutes later they hear Lucy asking Matt why he isn't getting Nick up and asking him to go, his answers makes Nick and Jen try not to hide their laughter. Another five minutes later they hear the front door open and close, they lay there waiting a little longer before moving.

"Ok lover birds you can come out now." Comes from Duncan, Jen shakes her head at his remark. The two get up, Jen puts on some clothes and quickly heads to the shower while Nick goes and talks to Matt and Duncan. Five minutes later the two have left to go to the scene, tell Nick and Jen to meet them there soon.

Matt and Duncan arrive at the crime scene; Ally and Rhys arrive next, with Lucy not far behind. They start going over the scene before Jen arrives ahead of Nick, both in separate cars. Matt did notice how Rhys and Ally turned up in the same car.

The whole team starts going over the scene together; Ronnie tells them what killed each of the three victims. And from what Ronnie has said it looks like a murder come suicide, but she can't confirm it till she does the autopsies on the bodies.

**Two days later** the team decided the case is a murder come suicide. Two of the victims had end stage cancer and both had been shot several times in the body, the person who had killed the two who was later ID as the couple's son, then shot himself. The son wasn't married and had no children and was the only child of the couple.

Jen, Duncan, Ally and Lucy are busy doing paperwork are busy doing paperwork when Waverley comes into the room.

"Mapplethorpe you left a message asking to see me, I'm free at present if you want to come to my office and talk?" Waverley says as she comes up to her. Jen looks at Matt as he comes out of his office when he heard Waverley talking to Jen.

"Gone ahead Jen." Matt says to her. Jen then gets up and walks with Waverley to her office.

**Waverley's office**

"So Jen what was it you wanted to talk to me about?"

"Do you remember when I came to you and asked if the job was worth it and then that night at the function you spoke about sacrifice?" Jen asks her.

"Yes I did, I also told you that if you wanted too you could be in my chair one day."

"Is it possible to have both Ma'am."

"In what way do you mean both?"

"Be where you are and also have a personal life?"

"You can if you do it right. I let my career, my drive to be where I am sitting now cost me my marriage, and my son."

"Would you change any of it if you could?"

"Yes and no. I could have put more time into my marriage but then again if my husband at the time was more understand and supportive he would have stood by me. A marriage is a two way street if you want to have that make sure you have someone who understand that this is where you want to be and that the job you do requires a lot of your time. But I take it these questions aren't really the real reason you asked for a meeting with me as soon as I could spare it now is it?"

"No ma'am it isn't?"

"Well then ago ahead and tell me what the real reason is for your request?"

"I know you don't like team members sleeping together but Nick and I have been seeing each other." There is silence in the room for about 30seconds before Waverley speaks.

"How long has this been going on?"

"Over a year, but it's not the first time I had ended things between us before I asked you about the job being worth it, we got back together when Homicide was going to be closed down. His kidnapping by Dane Majors was made me realise how important he is to me." Jen says towards the end of her sentence she looks at her hands.

"I would presume these feels arose between you two when you were first undercover for the SIS?"

"Yes ma'am they did we spent a good year undercover as husband and wife."

"Well you two have done well to hide it from everyone but why come to me; you know I don't like team members sleeping together because when things go wrong the rest of the team suffers."

"Well you see Nick he wants a future with me and he is prepared to leave Homicide so I can stay and do what I want to do career wise, but I know how much he loves working in Homicide if not as much as I do and I know he would hate it anywhere else. So I was wondering if there was any way we could both be able to stay in homicide and still be able to be with each other without hiding it from you all." The room is silent as the two sit there. Waverley taking in what Jen has said to her.

"You know if this was you and someone else I would be giving you the third degree about sleeping with a team member, but knowing how higher the SIS think of the two of you regarding your work undercover for them, and how I hadn't noticed that you two were involved at any stage before you went undercover for them this last time and coming back, shows you two have been able to so far keep your personal life at home."

"We try, though we do have the odd slip up with words for each other, but so far we have been able to play it off as thinking we're still undercover."

"Nick would be a very understanding husband when it comes to this job. He knows all about the long hours that we put in, in Homicide."

"Yes he would and he said he is happy to support me if this is what I want to do, but..." she stops talking not sure if she should say what she is about to say.

"But what Jennifer?"

"Well I would feel bad if us being able to have a future together meant he lost doing a job he loves doing and one he is excellent at doing as well, he knows how much this job means to me and he won't let me change and has already told me so."

"So I take it you would like me to think about the possibility of the two of you staying on in Homicide and being able to have an open relationship with each other?"

"Yes."

"And how do you feel about him? And do you know how serious he is about you? Because I need to know because there is the rest of the team to consider here."

"I've loved him since the first time we were undercover. He is serious enough that he has asked me to marry him once we can sort out who is going where job wise, and to be honest that is our biggest and only issue at present is the job because neither of us wants the other to leave Homicide."

"Leave it with me Mapplethorpe and I will get back to you in the next few days with my thoughts on this and if I can provide a solution for you both."

"Thank you Waverley." Jen says as she gets up and as she gets to the door.

"Jennifer does Nick know you are here and how you feel about him?"

"Yes ma'am does know." She says as she then leaves Waverley's office and heads back down to her desk to keep on working.

When she arrives back Lucy looks at her.

"Everything ok Jen?" asks Nick.

"Yep." She replies back as she sits down at her desk.

"Hey Jen what was your meeting about with Waverley?" Duncan asks when he returns to his desk and see's Jen at her desk.

"None of your business Duncan." She replies back to him. Of course when Duncan mentions Waverley Nicks looks at her and she catches him looking at her with a questioning look on her face. She looks at him and he can tell that she will tell him later, so he drops the subject and returns back to his paperwork.


	10. Chapter 10

**Two weeks later**

Jen hasn't heard from Waverley about what she spoke to her about. She told Nick that night about her meeting with her and what she had asked for. Both had decided they would just kept acting like they have been at work and let Waverley take as much time as she needs to decide on the situation that has been presented to her by Jen.

A new case came in and Matt got Nick, Duncan, Lucy and himself working on it leaving Jen, Rhys and Allie on the other case that had come in the day before.

Of course no one was prepared for what they found when they walked into the house 30mins later.

"Senior Constable set up a media block further down the road away from this crime scene." Matt says as he comes out of the house ringing back to Homicide.

Back inside the house Nick has been looking at the victims when Duncan mentions something.

"Nick we don't have any dead children do we?"

"None, why do you ask?"

"There is three Lunchboxes with food in them on the bench here and I found three bags two have school books in them and the other a change of clothes along with a reading folder."

"So we have the possibility of three missing children then?"

"We need to find a photo of them."

"Here's a photo of the family, and also three of the children they were on the bookshelf in the lounge." Lucy says as she passes them to Duncan.

"This will help us to pick out which bodies are the parents, but we still need to find out who the other two are." He says as he passes the photos to Nick who starts going through them. As soon as he looks at the family photo he recognises one of the children in the photo and goes white as. As Matt walks back into the kitchen where the four are he sees the pale face of Nick and also that he is holding some pictures. He quickly puts them down and heads out of the house, trying to get himself together again

Matt comes out to see him.

"Nick you ok?"

"I'll be fine, it's never easy when kids get taken in something like this?" he says to Matt hoping he can pass it off as just the case getting to him. They all feel for it when kids get involved in cases withers they are killed, see the killing or something else.

"True there Nick."

"If you don't mind Matt I'll head back to Homicide and start back ground checks on the home owners and see if I can't get Id's on the other two victims?"

"Go ahead Wolfe and Jarvis are on their way down here so we can spare you."

"Thanks mate." Nick says as he heads off. Matt is worried for him as he's never seen him go this white at a crime scene before.

**Around 11.30 am**

Nick hasn't seen Jen or had a chance to talk to her about what he saw. He rang and left her a message to ring him when she got a chance but he knew she was busy dealing with her case and may not ring him back till she was on a break and had time. Jen had noticed his incoming calls but had been busy with her suspect that she had ignored them because she knew they weren't on the same case so were not urgent enough for her to take the call straight away.

Midday arrives and Jen is walking back up to the homicide floor after having finally getting her suspect to crack.

Nick is on the Homicide floor when Chris comes walking in, as soon as Nick sees him he goes up to him grabs him by the collar and places him up against the wall of the Homicide floor this gets everyone's attention who is around.

"Where the hell is he Chris?" His voice angry and full of emotion

"Who Nick?" Chris asks having no idea what has happened this morning.

"Who damn well know who Chris where the hell is he and you better start telling me the damn truth."  
>"Nick I have no idea what you're talking about." He says Nick then drags him to the area where they meet and go over cases.<p>

"This Chris, I walked in to find this this morning now he is missing along with two others so where the hell is he." Nick angrily says to him while pointing at the boards, Chris stands there shocked to see the photos of four dead people on the board, two of them who he should have known about if something happened. Matt, Lucy and Allie hear Nick talking to this Chris guy they recognise him from the other week when he came up to see the two.

"Nick I um…" Chris isn't sure what to say.

"Damn it Chris we trusted your lot to do their damn job and now he is missing so you better tell me what the hell is going on and where the hell he is and those two other children or help me god you will wish you were dead." He says to him, Matt can tell he is angry and Jen has arrived on the Homicide floor to hear Nick yelling at someone. Nick doesn't register her being there yet.

Nick.

"Don't Fking Nick me Chris, what is his mother going to think when she finds out."

"Haven't you told her yet?" Chris says looking at Nick for the first time since arriving to the room.  
>"No I haven't been able to get through to her to inform her of what is happening; she's been busy doing her job unlike your lot." The two talking as if there is no one else around and no one has the faintest idea what the two are talking about. All they know is that Nick knows one of the missing children and for Matt this explains why he went white at the crime scene, but then why hasn't he said anything yet to them.<p>

"Nick honestly I had no idea that this had happened."

"For Christ sakes Chris he was in your bloody care, your lot were meant to keep him safe, we trusted you to do your job."

"Have your lot done a full search of the house?"

"Of course they did Chris and Matt had neighbouring houses check there is no sign of them. They had to have been taken by the people who did that to those four adults and you must have some idea who it could be."

"Nick, Chris stop it now why are you both yelling at each other for?" Jen says as she walks closer to them after listening to what is going on and because of where Nick is standing she doesn't see the photos of the three missing children. Nick turns to look at her their eyes lock and she can tell he is trying to hold himself together that something has him upset.

"You three my office now." Waverley says her voice very firm as she looks at the three that are standing in the door way of the room, as everyone else on the floor stayed clear of Nick and Chris unlike Jen who walked straight up to them.

Waverley having called the three away prevents anyone from finding out what is going on to have Nick going off his tree at this Chris guy that walked on to the Homicide floor not so long ago.

The three go up to Waverley's office and talk; no one knows what is going on up there.

"Ok everyone back to work would you please we have two homicides to solve." Matt says.

"Matt, Jen got our suspect to confess so we're just tying up loose ends do you want us to help out with your case?"

"Yes pleas Rhys that would be great we need as many hands as we can get as we have four dead adults and three missing children. Once you finish your reports them come and see me" Matt says to Rhys and Allie.

Up in Waverley's office Nick and Jen explain what Chris is in relation to them and they talk some more.

Jen and Nick return back to the Homicide floor some time later, everyone notices they seem not themselves.

"Allie, Rhys hand everything over to Nick and Jen they will wrap up the case your both now on the open case." Matt says as he walks out of his office after coming off the phone to Waverley.

"Matt Nick wasn't..."

"Rhys just do it, its orders from above ok." He says as he looks at Nick and shakes his head. He walks up to him and whispers in his ear. "If you need to talk you know where to find me." He says and then walks off leaving it at that. Hoping that Nick will talk to him about what is going on.

Nick and Jen get to work at finishing off the reports and paperwork for the case that Jen finished off closing up. Jen does a quick check and finds none of the crew around.

"You could have warned me." She says quietly to him.

"I did ring and leave you several messages to ring me it was urgent. I even a text."

"Sorry I was in with our main suspect cracking him wide open, I got them but as you weren't on my case anymore I ignored them."

"It's ok; I gathered work was the reason. But I would have preferred to have told you on your own."

"I'm going to go make myself a drink you want one?" She asks as she gets up and he nods his head in agreement and she heads off to get something to drink.

Jen is still making the drinks when Lucy walks over to Nick, Jen steps out and sees this and stays back so Lucy doesn't notice her being there within ear range.

"Nick you ok?"

"I'm fine Lucy just today's crime scene got to me, ones that involve kids always do." He says rubbing his face with his hands.

"Who is that Chris guy and why were you going off at him?" She asks as she sits on the side of his desk and he pushes his chair out away from his desk to give him some space form her.

"It was private and I'm sorry you over heard the conversation I had with him. But it has nothing to do with you." He says a he goes to stand Lucy places a hand on his arm.

"Nick you know how I feel about you and I'm here for you, you don't need to bottle these things up. You can talk to me."

"No thanks Lucy I'm fine and as I have told you before I don't have the same feelings for you, now if you will excuse me I'm off to get myself a drink." He says as he turns around and starts to walk Jen comes up to him.

"You look like you could do with a drink so I made you one." Jen says as she walks up to him and passes him a hot drink and then continues to walk to her desk. Nick takes a sip of it and then turns and walks back to his desk.

"Thanks Jen just what I needed." He says as he takes another drink and continues working away at the paperwork that is on his desk.

The rest of the day goes by in a blur for Nick. As evening comes he is pleased when Matt sends him home for the night.

He arrives home and heads straight to the shower where he ends up on the shower tray floor crying, and this how Jen finds him twenty minutes later after knocking on his door and him not answering, as she hears his music playing and lights on she uses the key he gave her to unlock the door and let herself in.

She turns the water off and hands him a towel which he takes and quickly dry's himself off before going and getting changed.

The spent the evening mainly in silence none of their normal banter or talk is heard and it is not long later before the two head off to bed for the evening.

Around 9pm there is a knock on the door that wakes up both of them and Nick goes on high alert. He takes his service weapon out from the safe and walks up to the door he leaves the chain up as he opens it and puts his head around to see who it is.

"Lucy what are you doing here?" he says frustration sounding in his voice.

"I came to make sure you were ok?"

"Did it pass you mind that I might be in bed considering there are no lights on in my house?" he says back to her sharply.

"Sorry for caring." She says back hurt sounding in her voice.

"Lucy it's been a long stressful day for me and I just want to go back to bed." He says as he goes to shut the door Lucy puts her foot in the way.

"I can help you relax if you like?" her voice dropping a few octaves hoping to entice him.

"Lucy I'm not interesting a relationship of any kind with you, I'm not attracted to you so please stop trying to come on to me."

"But Nick I love you."

"But I don't love you Lucy never have and the sooner you understand that that better. Now if you don't mind I'm going back to bed." He mangers to get the door shut and heads off to bed.

"Maybe we should just go elope tomorrow then you can tell her you're married?" Jen says to him as he snuggles back into bed behind her.

"And what will Waverley think about that?" He replies back as he places a gentle kiss on her shoulder.

"Well she's not said anything about what I spoke to her about and it's been three weeks, maybe it might show her that we both serious about each other."  
>"Yes but neither one of us wants the other to leave Homicide." he says back to her and he pulls her closer to him.<p>

"It's not like we've not lied to them already, we've hidden this from them for how long and it's not the first time we've done it."

"Well Matt and Duncan know Jen so we can't say we hide it from them?"

"True but Duncan being a good investigator figured it out, anyway I know for a fact Rhys and Allie are living together and Waverley has no idea about them two."

"And when did you find that out?"

"The other day when I had a long lunch break with Allie well that is when I found out, and those two have been hiding their relationship as long as we have."

"So it's just Matt and Duncan left out of the group." He says to her as he places another kiss on her shoulder.

"I doubt Duncan will be an easy win over and Matt is still getting over Emma leaving him."

"Well at least I still have you."

They say a few more things before both drifting off to sleep again, there slept wasn't a pleasant one both waking at different times. Jen suffering with nightmares from the first time under cover for the SIS, dreams she thought she had managers to buried but have come back.


	11. Chapter 11

The following morning

"Nick do you ever wish things could have been different, changed anything that happened?" Jen asks as she finishes off washing up their breakfast dishes.

"Something's yes, something's no. Why do you ask Jen?" He says as he comes up behind her and wraps his arms around her waist.

"Just thinking about things, that is all."

"Jen come on talk to me please?"

"I just wish sometimes things had been different when we came out of undercover work the first time around." Her voice full of sadness as she speaks.

"You're not the only one who wishes it could have ended so totally different for us honey, but we had no choice remember?"

"I know but…"

"Jen don't go there you got yourself worked up and scared shitless after the shooting and I don't want to see you going down that path again."

"But Nick it could have been us, what if this attack has something to do with what we have been involved with in the past."

"And if that is the case Burns will be on to it by now sorting it all out."

"Nick he has no idea in hell what we went through what we had to give up because of them."

"I know honey but we can't let this get to you. I know it is easier said than done but the team need us to stay strong they have no idea of the things we know, the things we have been involved with, seen and done. But we do need to catch the killer of those four people and hopefully find those three children including our son."

"I still can't believe he is missing Nick." She says as she turns and buries her head into his chest and starts to cry.

"Neither can I honey. Chris was meant to keep him safe."

"What if he is dead already?"

"We have to stay positive here Jen, we have to think he is still alive otherwise there is no way we are going to be of any use to the rest of our team on this case. They have no idea that one of those missing children is our son, our flesh and blood."

"Nick I think we should tell them just in case it is related to our SIS work."

"Jen we aren't going to tell them yet. If it is SIS related they will contact us and let us know." He says to her and he gentle rubs her back and allows her to cry.

Five minutes later.

"Honey we need to get going to work. Are you going to be ok or do you won't to call in sick?"

"I'll be fine being here or home will just make it worse for me. I just need to keep busy till we find him."

The finish off getting ready to go to work and head off in silence. Both worried about their child who is missing. One they only get to see via Chris and secret locations so not to break the child's new Identity and also so if Nick and Jen are being watched no one finds out who he is in relation to them.

They arrive at homicide and Matt straight away picks up that there is something wrong with the two of them, but he doesn't say anything he knows they will talk about it if they can when they are up too. He remembers back to the time when they were under cover the first time Matt knew about, but there second time around things from it where bugging Nick but he was unable to talk about it because Matt wasn't cleared to hear the information. That is when Matt knew the two had a close relationship as they only had each other they could turn too when things from undercover would rear there ugly head and from what Matt has heard about some times undercover work can be deadly and the things people see stay with them for a life time.

The whole team works hard at trying to find leads, breaks anything that could be of help to them to track down who could be behind it all. For Nick and Jen it is a look into the life that their child leads with this family, they learn a lot about who they were, what they did and who they were friends with. Both felt good that Chris had chosen such a great family for their boy to be raised in. It left them with some hope for the system after all. Just before lunch Allie cames to them with news that the middle child 6year old Billy was adopted by the family, she has the name of the parents that are written down but is unable to find any information on them as of yet and as she starts a back ground search Nick and Jen look at each, they know they really should tell the team but they also know they shouldn't. They are left not knowing what really to do. No word from Chris or Byrnes to help with the situation doesn't help them to know what they should and shouldn't do or what information they can give the team.

As Allie does a background check she finds out that both his parents died a few days after he was born. But any other information on the family is unknown. They can't find out what country they were born, or where, who the parents where or anything.

"Damn this case we have nothing but dead bloody leads." Allie says as she heads off to the board to write up what new information she has.

Nick quietly without anyone noticing has slipped away to make a phone call.

"Chris it is Nick Buchanan."

"What can I do for you Nick?"

"We really need some help with this case we are getting nowhere with leads or who could have done it. Do you have anything at all that could be of help?"

"I'll courier over what I have to you about the family that is not classified."

"Thanks Chris." He says

"Just remember Nick this family is classified and a lot of their information and background will not be easy to access for security reasons I do hope you understand that?"

"I do Chris that is half the reason why we are struggling to get anywhere on this case. We just want to get this case solved and these three children found." They say their goodbyes and hang up.

He then walks back to his desk to keep on working.

12pm

Police Press Conference room.

Waverly gives a press release to the news about the homicide case they are dealing with since no leads can be found and pictures of the three missing children are also put up on the screen.

At SIS headquarters people are watching the Police press release when one of the group recognises one of the photos, he is sure he has seen that face before. When the age is given on that child he quickly leaves the room and heads off to get some information and then proceeds to the Homicide department.

An hour later he walks into Homicide.

"Nick, Jen is it true?" asks Jeremy Byrnes. The two turn around surprised to see him here.

"Byrnes what are you doing here?"

"I saw the press release Waverley did."

"Yes it's true." Nick replies back with. "But how do you know?"

"After what you said to me last time I took you under cover I did some back ground research on you too and found out." Allie, Lucy and Rhys hear the conversation as they are all at their desk trying to find leads.

"Can you show me what you've managered to get so far?"

"Sure." Replies Nick as he gets up and walks with Byrnes to the room where all the information is.

The two go over everything that is there and they talk about a few things then Byrnes informs them of who the two other dead bodies are.

"Matt I have names on the other two bodies for you. The male is Thomas Watt and the female is Lizzie Watt also known as Lizzie Byrnes." Nick says as he enters Matt's office.

"Great work Nick but how did you get that information." Byrnes then enters the office.

"From me Lizzie is my sister she went missing two days ago we filed a missing person report late last night, Thomas is her husband."

"I've seen photos of her with the family and the kids, Thomas and Lizzie have known the family for about five years."

"How did they meet?"

"Lizzie and Anne work for the same firm, Thomas works alongside Mike."

"Ok so that explains why we haven't heard from the partner in his firm then."

"That is why."

"Ok what else can you give us?"

"Only what my sister has told me. They have money not just from work but family money; they are very well off but prefer to live a moderate life style. My sister took the kids to school each day for Anne as she didn't drive. But there is a slight problem as my sister was also under cover working on a project. I don't even think they know she is missing, she was aloud contact with her family but only a handful of us knew what she was really doing. I would give you more details but I need to find out if they know what is going on and also if they know she is missing."

"How come you knew she was missing?"

"When she took this undercover job we made a deal that if she did it she would text or ring us at a set time each day. She missed the last two days' worth. Once she missed last night check in I called missing persons. I am tracking down who she was working for now but her op seems very covered over I'm starting to wonder if she really was under cover or if it was a trick used to get her to spy on us."

"What do you mean by that?"

"There have been a lot of changes at SIS, the company could have used her to keep an eye on me and the people I work with and know. We have found a few have leaked information to outside people and that has put cases in jeopardy including people's lives. She went under about a year ago. I found out about the inquires a couple of months ago when questions over someone who was working under me. Look I'm only providing this information because of how well you guys were when we worked those two cases with you and how you seem to keep what has been told under wraps and the next lot of information I'm about to give you cannot leave the four walls of the office. But we aren't doing it here we going up to Waverley's office for this." He says as the three leave and head to Waverley's office. Byrnes gets Jen to come with them for this as well, and this has both Nick and Jen worried. Matt is not sure what to make of it all but is hoping what comes next explains what is going with the two in his team.

They arrive in Waverley's office, Jarvis and Wolfe are already there waiting on them.

They say there hello's before getting down to business.

"Right the next lot of information I am about to inform you all of involves these two." He says as he points to Nick and Jen. "Now under any other circumstances I would not be providing this information. Also what I'm about to tell you all is not to leave this room and be spoken too to any other office or person until the current case is solved."

"We understand that Byrnes so what is it that is so important that involves two of our finest homicide detectives?" Asks Jarvis.

"One of the missing child 6year old Billy was put with that family by us at SIS."

"Why was that?" asks Waverley

"To protect these two here." There is silence in the room.

"Ma'am this has to do with the conversation we had yesterday with you. The one that involved Chris. We left out the part where we are the child's biology parents and that I got pregnant while under cover. It was to protect our cover which it did do, as at the time Hartono was family focus and to take the heat off us and more the case of him suspecting us as cops we did what we had too, though for both of us it was an easy decision to make. We spent 18months approximately undercover as husband and wife; we got out a few weeks before I had him. The Agent in control decided that it was best to have him adopted out and Nick and I go back to a normal life. Also they thought it would be safer that way as well just in case we were spotted anywhere if we didn't have a child with us we could easily play it off as mistaken identity."

"So why didn't you two tell us this yesterday?" asks Matt

"Because we weren't sure if we were aloud, we told Waverley because of the heated argument I had with Chris, who keeps an eye on him and takes their check in calls. He also arranges meetings with him for us and Billy knows who we are as well." Nick says to the room.

"Does he know your names?"

"No he only knows us as his real parents and that is all. He has no idea of our real names. We also know nothing about the family he is with as we were told we were allowed no contact with them. All contact with Billy was through Chris." Replies Nick to Matts question.

"You two are excellent at keeping secrets aren't you?"

"Sometimes Ma'am we have no choice in the matter. We do what we have to do, or are told to do." Replies Jen.

The group talk some more and Matt leaves the office along with Jarvis, Wolfe and Byrnes. Nick and Jen stay in the room as Waverley wants to talk to them, as Matt leaves he does worry for the two. He hopes they're not about to lose their jobs over this bit of information, but for him it explains why Nick reacted like he did, it was his child that was missing.


	12. Chapter 12

"Ok you two, why did you two yesterday tell me that you knew the family of one of the boys and that he was placed with that family and not tell me the total truth of the matter."

"Because we weren't allowed to tell anyone." Nick says to Waverley.

"Well it does explain why you reacted like you did Nick. Put still why couldn't you feel like you both could come to me with this information?"

"We were told at the time that we weren't allowed to tell anyone. When I had him I never even got to hold him he was taken straight away it was six months later before I got my first chance to see him and even then I was reminded that I wasn't allowed to tell anyone where I was going or who I was seeing. We made a promise and we have since yesterday been dealing with knowing that our team didn't have all the information for the case but we also had no idea if we should or could tell you. We didn't want to hide it but what choice do we have tell you without permission and face jail time." Jen says in return. The room is then silent for a few minutes as Waverley sits there thinking.

"You both should be able to come to me with these sorts of things. What is said to me can be said in confidence and if requested it can be kept between us. Something like this I would have kept my mouth shut for you." She says the room is silent Waverley giving the two time to think about what she has just said to them.

"You two seem to have a fear about of history, and are also very good at keeping things hidden I see, one of them being a personal relationship. Now is what Jeremy Byrnes said true. That you know nothing about the family and that you have had no contact with them at all?"

"That is correct. We know nothing about them and have never met them at all."

"So apart from you two being the biological parents of Billy there is no other reason to pull you off this case?"

"No ma'am there isn't?" replies Jennifer.

"Ok then I want you two to go back down to homicide help the team find out who did this. Though one more question does Byrnes think this could be related to anything you have been involved with for the SIS?"

"He said no, they keep a track on Haratano and the people he knows. He thinks it has something to do with what his sister was involved with. Not what Jen and I have been a part of. And to be honest what we witness while undercover they would come to us direct. He doesn't believe in pissing around. He goes straight for his main target."

"OK then go back down help out."

Nick and Jen leave Waverley's office and head back to Homicide to help out with the investigation.

Matt and Duncan interview Byrnes on what he knows about his sister and her partner, and also who she worked for. For Matt and Duncan the information Jeremy Byrnes provides them gives them a huge new base line of why this could have happened. They now start looking into the background of the other two and not the family whose three children are missing.

Waverley gets on the phone to Missing Person and tells them to keep looking, she also sends out a another press release with the three faces and names of the three missing children, hoping someone might have seen them or have them.

The lunchtime comes and goes quickly as they follow leads do more background checks on Lizzie and Thomas.

Jen is typing away doing back ground checks when without realising it tears start to fall down her face, she wipes them away and tries to stop them before anyone sees them.

"Jen you ok?" Allie asks when she sees Jen wiping her face for the fifth time. Jen looks up at her and she sees her red eyes, Allie watches as Jen gets up and walks away from her desk. Allie decides to ring Nick, but she doesn't get through, so she sends a text to him

"000 Jen crying." Allie knows if anyone can help Jen it will be Nick as she sends the text Nick steps off the elevator, and his phone goes off, as he gets it out he notices Jen walking and wiping her face as she does it. He decides he doesn't care who sees but he walks straight towards her and wraps his arms around her as she lets the tears fall. He reads the message that has come through on his phone and sends Allie a 'thanks' back. Nick guides Jen through to the Kitchen area where they sit down.

A few minutes later Jen gets herself together, and the tears finally stop.

"Sorry" she says ever so quietly.

"It's ok." He replies back

"I told myself I wouldn't cry, not here, I told myself I would stay positive but I know that every hour we don't find those kids is every hour closer to death, if they're not already dead."

"Jen stay positive we have too."

"I know but…"

"No buts Jen we haven't received any ransom notes, no sorry we've received nothing from whoever has them, now that could mean one of two things they are safe or the other and we have to go with they are safe option here."

"But Nick our…"

"I know Jen but if we don't we can't do our job. Now let me make you drink and then let's go back to our desks and do some work." He says as he gets up and makes a hot drink for both of them. He passes Jen hers and they both walk back to their desks to do more checks on information and also to dig up more information.

#################################################################

_**NEWS REPORT**_

_It has been three days since the murder of Anne and Mike Thompson, and Lizzie and Thomas Watt. Anne and Mike's three children are still missing and we have not received any information about their where about. The children's relatives are extremely worried for their safety. So if anyone out there has any information on their where about, or any information that might lead to their were about we would greatly appreciate you ringing in and providing us with that information the number to ring will be displayed on the bottom of your screen._

###################################################################

It had been three full days, now the start of the fourth day. They have more information on what is going on. They have been able to track down that the killing was directed at Lizzie Watt's and not the Thompson family. This provides some hope for Jen and Nick, but each night when Jen returns home she ends up in tears. Waverley keeps a close eye on the two of them to see how they work. She notices they are not as chatty as they normal are with the team but they do work hard, and knuckle down more.

Duncan and Lucy chase down some more suspects, while Rhys and Matt interview people from Lizzie's and Anne's work.

Rhys is going over a list Lizzie and Thomas work colleagues and he notices that one of them hasn't been seen since the day before the murders and now becomes the number one suspect.

"Matt I have something here, Adam Rogers he worked with Lizzie on the undercover operation she was working on, the one we are not getting any help with regarding information. He didn't work at the company Lizzie and Anne worked at but at the firm Mike and Thomas were partners in." Rhys says.

"Thank you Rhys, give me the name of the person who is meant to be running the undercover operation she was on and I will get the information." Waverley says after having hearing what Rhys was saying to Matt. Matt writes down the name and hands it over to Waverley.

"Rhys track down everything you can on this person, properties, phone numbers, car details the works."

"Will do." Rhys says as he returns to his desk to start doing as he has been requested.

It was around 8pm and the homicide team were still at work. Everyone tucking into some tack out as they try and figure out what is going on.

"This case is frustrating." Allie says.

"That is an understatement Allie."

"I know it's just the Thompson family seems clean as and it seems like it's not from their side, then we go to the Watts and well we get brick wall after brick wall."

"That would be because the SIS loves keeping everything to themselves. Now I have a meeting with the Agent in charge of the case that the Watts were working on. I do hope to be able to provide all with more information after the meeting." Waverley says to the group before heading off to her office.

"Let's hope she can get something from them. Rhys what properties did you find under Adam Rogers name?" Jen says.

"These are all of them." Rhys says as he provides her with a list and she starts going over them. The team watching her.

"What's a bet SIS don't want to provide us with information because they want to get to their agent before us we have to work smart, try and get ahead of them. Rhys can you see what properties are under his parent's name." Rhys starts typing away at his computer.

"Jen what are you thinking?" Matt asks. Nick sees a look of determination on her face. One that hasn't been there for the last couple of days.

"What if Adam isn't our murder what if he happened to over hear something, or be around at the time and got the children out of there and has gone into hiding with them. Gone to a place that maybe him and Lizzie know of a safe place that they would only come out of if the other turned up to get them."

"That is good thinking Jen." Nick says a smile coming on his face and he goes over to Rhys and asks what he can do.

"Rhys how many properties do they own?"

"Would you believe it his parents own 15 properties across Melbourne and Victoria."

"Ok I would say that he wouldn't go to a residential place, more an out of the way where no one can see them coming and going and where if the kids make noise they won't be heard."

"Ok that leaves five properties."

"Where abouts are they?" Nick says. Matt watches as Nick and Jen seem to start coming back to their normal selves. Rhys tells the group where the five locations are and they place them on the map. Jen sits and thinks.

"Rhys mark out where the others houses are too please." Jen says a few minutes later, Rhys gets the list and then marks them on the map. Jen sits and stares at the map.

"Nick do you see what I'm seeing?"

"I see three locations where the Family owns a number of houses. Then there are these three lonely ones. Rhys checks owner's history on these three." Nick says as he looks at Jen a small smile breaks out on her face.

"Ok these two they brought in the last couple of months but this one has been in the family for over fifty years, it was owned by Adams grandparents before the ownership was changed to his parents when they passed away."

"That's the place. That will be where he is with those kids. I bet no one thought of him taking them somewhere like this. Everyone would think the total opposite. Let's move, the sooner we get there and get these kids back to their families the better." Jen says as she gets out her gun and stuff from her desk draw, the others following suit. Matt rings through for back up and also rings Waverley to tell her what is happening

"Nick, Jen you can't come."

"WHAT?" Jen says crossly to him.

"You lot go down to the cars I'll be down in a minute." Matt says. He waits till the other four have left. "Nick, Jen I would love to have you two there with us but Waverley said no because of who you are. I promise you both I will ring as soon as I know they are there and safe."

"Ok thanks Matt." Nick says sounding a bit down.

"Nick trust me on this I will make sure they get home safe and sound."

"I do trust you Nick, it's just been a long few days."

"And that is why you need to let the rest of us deal with this for you. You both look like shit. Just stay here. Now I better head off." Matt says as he gives Nick a pat on the back before walking away leaving the two sitting in Homicide alone.

Matt rings through for back up and also rings Waverley to tell her what is happening.

Matt, Duncan, take one car, Jarvis and Wolfe in another, while Allie, Rhys and Lucy are in the other car with support cars behind them.


	13. Chapter 13

_Sorry for the delay in updating but real life has been abit more full on that I expected. I do hope you like this update._

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><p>As the officers along with the Homicide Detective's arrive at the location 40mins after leaving the Homicide, they gather with Wolfe and Jarvis as they make a plan of attack.<p>

Jarvis takes control and sends a team around the back. Sending Duncan, Rhys and Lucy with a team of officers. Going through the front there is going to be Matt, Jarvis and Ally, while Wolfe stays with the car as back up if needed with other officers. They have closed off the roads around the house.

**BACK AT HOMICIDE**

Nick and Jen are sitting in the kitchen area with drinks while they wait, and this is where Waverley finds them sometime later.

"Nick, Jen I just gotten off the phone with Wolfe they were pulling up to the address five minutes ago. I don't think it will be long before they will be out."

"Thank you ma'am." Jen says quietly.

"Jen maybe we should try and work on some paperwork might help pass the time." Nick says as he places a hand over one of hers and gentle rubs his thumb on her hand. They look at each other and Waverley watches them with interest.

"I know honey and I understand that you may not won't to but we need to do something, Matt said he would ring once he knew for sure if they were in there or not. We've got to trust them to do their job." Nick says to her.

"But they have no idea why we have been left behind; I just hate lying all the time to them."

"I do too, but something's we can't share unless we want to be in a four by four cell."

"I know that, it's just hard that is all, not being able to tell them the whole story."

Someone starts to walks towards the kitchen area and Waverley sees them and shakes her head and gives them this look and they know to turn around and walk away.

"Imagine the number of times we nearly blew it when you came back and found me here. I struggled not to make you your drinks then what about that afternoon I did and Dunny nearly caught on. It's never been easy, and it never will be not with what we have experienced."

"Nick, Jennifer have you guys ever spoken to a counsellor about what you went through when under-cover?" They both shake their heads.

"How do you tell them classified information, personal information about a case one that you aren't allowed to talk about to anyone outside the people you have been told you can talk to, tell them what you experience. They have no idea of the hell that you can experience while under-cover. And it's not like you can turn down under-cover work. Not when it's SIS." Jennifer says "Since returning from secondment and finding Nick here and being able to talk to him has helped and having him there when we had the Surpomo Case before going back under-cover, we talk to each other as we were both there together he understand what I seen and how I feel as he was the one comforting me through some of the experiences. The SIS they sort of said if you need to talk here's a number but they are also very tight knit they don't allow much to get out, if anything at all." Jen says back to Waverley.

"Well I don't care what they say if you need to go speak to someone I'm sure Claudia would be more than happy and I can tell her any meetings you have with her that involve your under-cover work does not get recorded down. You need more than each other to be able to keep going on in life." The room is in silence for a few minutes when something clicks in Jens head and she speaks.

"Ma'am why did you say to keep going on in life and not to get over it? Everyone else just says get over it?"

"In this job there will always be events, experiences that you just can't get over. What you do is work through them learn to keep moving forward without letting them get much of a hold on you. You will always have good days and bad days. Would you like me to inform her about this?" She asks the two who are sitting down.

"Yea I think that might be good for both of us." Nick then says after a few minutes. Before they get up and start to head to their desks as they arrive at their desks Nicks mobile goes off, which causes Jen to jump and Waverley to stop and turn around and walk back over to them.

**BACK AT THE HOUSE**

"We will go in on the count of three." Jarvis says into the mic system that is hooked up with all the officers involved with the job."

"1…..2…3….GO, GO, GO!" Is heard and they bust their way through the front and back doors of the house.

They clear the first level, they do find signs of people living in the house, they then work their way upstairs. The first two rooms are clear, then the next door Allie comes too is locked, she signals to Rhys and they have a silent eye conversations which doesn't go unnoticed by the others she nods, and he busts the lock, she quickly scans the room in and as she sweeps something in the corner of her eye catches her attention as she returns her gaze to a dark corner something moves, something small. She looks back and Rhys as she holsters her weapon, and then signals to him to be quiet. He stands in the doorway to prevent anyone escaping and to also cover Allie.

She moves quietly to the corner, speaking softly at the same time.

"It's ok I'm a police women it's ok to come out." She says hoping it is the missing children.

"it's safe now no one can hurt you." She says and then she hears a muffled sound coming from that corner. She is closer enough now so she kneels down she wants to sit but knows it this is a adult and she sits she has no way to move in a hurry if they come after her.

"My name is Allie what is yours?" she says. The next things she notices is a small person running at her and wrapping their arms around her sobbing into her shoulder, the action having put her on her backside, and for someone with not mothering instincts she easily starts soothing the child. It takes another five minutes before she gets him to stop sobbing enough to talk to her.

"What's your name sweetie?" she says to him. The normal tuff as boots Allie is showing the others her softer kinder side.

"Billy, Ma'am have you found my brother and sister yet?" And this sets alarm bells off in Rhys head, he talks into his mic to inform them that they have one of the three missing children.

"Are they not here with you?" she asks him.

"No they left when I was sleeping so did Uncle Adam." He says his face looking so sad. Matt arrives in the room.

"When was this Billy?" she asks him trying to gauge how much time between them arriving here and Adam and the other two leaving the premises.

"I woke up not long before you guys arrived; I heard the siren that is what woke me up. And when I woke I noticed they weren't in my room I called out but nothing then I got scared and locked myself in here like mummy and daddy tort me to do.

"Ok go check the others rooms, Billy can you come with me please." Matt says as he tries to take the young child's hand, he notices how he refuses to let go of Allie.

"Allie take him downstairs we will check the rest of the house again." As Matt talks to Allie Rhys hears something and tells them all to be quiet. He faintly hears again. HE quickly checks the ceiling of the room and finds nothing and so he checks every other room on the top level of the house till he finds what he is looking for.

"Cover please." Rhys says as he finds something to hook the hook on the roof. Matt and another officer provide him with his much needed cover, he then pulls on the hook and it opens up with a ladder.

He quietly goes up the ladders just before he puts his head in he gets out his gun but leaves the safety on just in case. His gun goes through first before he then carefully lifts his head into the attic. There is faint light coming in from the window at each end of the attic as he scans the room he finds the other three people they have been looking for.

"Adam Rogers this is Detective Rhys Levitt, Homicide please step forward with your hand up." And Rhys is surprised when he does it without an issue..

Adam tells the other two to go to the officer, and Rhys finishes climbing into the attic to allow the other two children to climb down the ladder.

"Detective Levitt, I'm no threat. I have an ankle holster on my right leg there is a weapon in it." He says as he quietly walks up to Rhys with his hands on his head he puts out his right leg and allows Rhys to take the weapon out before going down the ladder himself. Rhys following.

"Why didn't you come out when we arrived?"

"The door jammed and also I wasn't 100% sure if you where police or SIS."

"Still you should have come out and made yourself known." Matt says sternly to the man  
>"No way is there any SIS agents with you?" He asks<p>

"No just Homicide and police officers."

"Good." He says relief sounding in his voice.

"We are going to take you into custody and take you down to the station for questioning these kids have been missing and they have family worried about them." Matt says as he gets Duncan to escorts them down. As he rings Nick.

"Nick its Matt we have them." Relief flooding through him.

"How is he Matt?" he asks

"He looks fine but by the looks of it Child services are already here." He says as he sees the lady they deal with off and on when kids are involved

"No don't let them take him bring him back here please."

"Nick you know the drill."

"Yes I do but his parents are right here they can't take him."

"Nick."

"NO Matt I don't care what she says if it is the normal hag we deal with but he needs to come here we need to see him Matt." There is silence between the two, before Matt speaks again.

"I will see what I can do. See you guys in about an hour or so." He says before hanging up. Matt walks over to the lady form child services to find out if Billy can go with them.

"Ma'am I'm sorry but Billy is coming in with me." Matt says.

"No he isn't he is coming with me he has no living parents so he is now in our care until we can track down family and make sure they are able to care for him."

"He has living parent's ma'am and they are waiting at homicide for him now if you will excuse me Billy is coming back to Homicide with me." Matt says and for Allie this sounds weird.

"Matt his real parents died when he was three days old. I know I did his back ground check." She says. Matt gets pissed off with her and sends her this look. But as he won't let Allie go to go with child services, he also decides to add this to his advantage.

"Look you have to bring them to Homicide for questioning anyway, He can ride with me and Duncan and Kingston to the office and from there you can decide what is going to happen, and also see his parents. Plus it looks like he is refusing to let go of Kingston as it is and you do not have enough room in your car for all of them as none of them can be place in the front seat of your car, since it has air bags in the front and children under seven shouldn't be riding in the front seat of cars that have airbags." Matt has decided he doesn't really care if this case is closed or not he is going to reunite Billy with his parents, even if he has to overdo the rules and regulations a little bit to get his way.. The lady is not happy but agrees to it in the end.

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><p>Nick and Jen sit and wait in Homicide for the gang to return. First to arrive is Rhys and Lucy who say a quick hello before sitting down to write up their reports.<p>

Ten minutes later Duncan arrives and he starts talking to Nick and Jen.

"How did it go?"

"Not to bad, we found them all safe and sound. Billy had locked himself in a room the other three were up in the Attic, Rhys was the one to notice a sound that lead us to finding them, I thought after we were informed they were no longer there that they had left him behind. HE had attached himself to Allie though and I must say I was shocked to see her so motherly. She does have a soft side." Duncan says and Rhys hears what he says and smiles to himself.

"That must have made her feel uncomfortable." Nick says in reply to what Duncan has said.

"She didn't seem to mind to be honest; well that is how it looked to me. Though Matt was having a hissy fit at the child services lady over Billy. Hey Allie you managered to get rid of your tag along?" Duncan says when he notices her arriving without Billy.

"Hey, Matt has him along with someone called Chris the same guy you gave heaps to the other day Nick, and Jeremy Byrnes." She says as she sits down and her desk and opens up her laptop.

"Hey Nick, Jen did Matt say anything to you about who Billy's parents really are. He told the hag from child services they were here at Homicide waiting for him." She says as she starts typing away

"Matt was properly saying that to allow the boy more time with you we heard from Duncan how he wouldn't leave your side."

"No he was stuck to me until he saws Chris then he took off towards him so I escaped before he noticed I was gone."

"That is so mean Allie." Says Duncan and she gives him one of her looks.

"Yea you shouldn't leave a little boy alone like that when he has attached themselves to you." Lucy says and as she looks up she sees Matt with two other people and the little boy Billy walking onto the Homicide floor she starts to wonder why they are hear. But before she can get a change to answer the boy speaks.

"MUMMY, DADDY." Billy yells as soon as he sees Nick and Jen, who when they hear his voice both turn around and the smiles that are on their faces at seeing their boy makes Matt feel so much better for pushing for them to see their boy now instead of waiting. The rest of the Homicide gang are left speechless at what the boys says.

Billy runs straight towards Nick and crashes into him as he gives him a cuddle and kiss, before going over to Jen and doing the same, but Jen then picks him up and sits him on her lap. Tears running down her face as she holds on to him tightly.


	14. Final Chapter

"MUMMY, DADDY." Billy yells as soon as he sees Nick and Jen, who when they hear his voice both turn around and the smiles that are on their faces at seeing their boy makes Matt feel so much better for pushing for them to see their boy now instead of waiting. The rest of the Homicide gang are left speechless at what the boys says.

Billy runs straight towards Nick and crashes into him as he gives him a cuddle and kiss, before going over to Jen and doing the same, but Jen then picks him up and sits him on her lap. Tears running down her face as she holds on to him tightly.

The rest of the team just stand there stunned by what the boy as said. Duncan looks at Matt and notices that he is not surprised by this.

Lucy watches on as the young child hugs Nick then goes to Jen and sits on her lap. Nick moves his chair towards Jen and the two sit and talk away to Billy totally ignoring the others. Chris and Byrnes watch on.

As Lucy watches on she starts to wonder what the hell is going on.

"Now that is a wonderful site to see." Waverley says cheerfully as she enters the Homicide floor, seeing Billy sitting on Jen's lap, with Nick in his chair right beside the pair. She knows what if feels like to lose a child, but she is amazed at how these two in front of her could even give up their child, that had to take guts. Nick and Jen smile at her. Waverley can see the relief on their faces that their little boy has been found.

"Just to let you know SIS is talking to Adam Rogers right now, you guys will get to talk to him in the morning. I made SIS do the interview here and it is being recorded." Waverley says as Wolfe and Jarvis enter the homicide floor as well. "Nick, Jen can I see you two in my office quickly please. Billy can come with you as well. Chris, Jeremy you both can stand guard at the door, but you won't be welcome in the office for this meeting." Waverley says as the group heads off, and for those two they aren't too worried. They both trust Nick and Jen, but Waverley knows they need to keep the child within sight at all times for the time being.

**Waverley's office**

"Right Nick I understand that you already know that Jennifer came and saw me a number of weeks ago regarding the two of you."  
>"Yes Ma'am I do."<p>

"Good, she explained to me what was going on at that time, and as I have watched the two of you over the last few weeks and most importantly with this case I along with Jarvis and Wolfe have agreed that you both can continue to work in Homicide and have a relationship."

"What helped make your mind up ma'am?" Jennifer asks

"The way you two put aside what you were feeling on this case and worked it. You may have left out details at the start but that was not by choice. You helped your team to find those children including your own son. I don't even know how you both managered to do it but you did. Also the fact the SIS loves using you together as a couple knowing the history you two have also helped swing things in your behaviour. I do ask though at any time you feel like your relationship is clouding your judgement on a case or interfering in some way please either step aside and let someone else take over or come and talk to me. I don't want this decision that has been made to bite me on the arse if things turn to custard between the two of you."

"No ma'am we won't let that happen. Any problems and we will come and see you straight away." Nick says. They say a few more words before leaving the office to head back to the homicide floor.

**Homicide Floor**

"WOW that was a shock to the system." Comes from Ally.

"Who knew that those two had already shagged years ago." Replies Rhys as he works away on his report. Lucy sits in her seat trying to figure all this out.

"Matt you already knew about this didn't you?" Asks Duncan as he looks Matt straight in the eye.

"Yes I did but I only found out not so long ago and I was told to keep it under wraps. There is a lot of other information that I'm not entitled too that relates to them and the young child." He says back to Duncan before heading to his office to start up writing his report on the bust that they have done, while everyone else sits around talking.

Not long later Nick and Jen return to Homicide minus Billy who is now with Chris who is talking to child services, as Jeremy interviews Billy as best he can for a child his age.

Over the next few hours they find out form the children that they were removed before the killings by Adam who was tipped off that something was going down and to get the kids out and what time to do it. When he arrived both set of adults where in the house talking when someone else arrived and was yelling. Adam was able to get in removed the children and leave without being noticed by anyone. He informs them that the guy yelling said something about them being part of SIS and that they were leaking information. What information he didn't know as he didn't stick around he was more concerned at getting the children away and fast. He explains how the first house he was at people turned up saying they were SIS and were looking for him and the children but something seemed wrong and luckily the people in the house gave him enough time to get hidden before allowing them to search the house. He also explained how he wanted to come in and hand the children over but was worried about the youngest one Billy he knew he wasn't the family's true child that he belonged to someone else but who he didn't know, he wasn't sure why the SIS was after him but he felt it was best to hide till the parents killers were found before coming out of hiding for the safety of the children. He was worried that whoever did the killings would be after the children as well.

"Nick is that child really yours?" Lucy asks him when she finally gets him alone.

"Yes. But stay out if Lucy." he says back to her but doesn't even look at her.

"Come on Nick."

"Lucy no I'm not talking about it ok now just drop it." He says as he moves away from her and back to his desk, back to the group with Jen and his hot drinks.

He sits back at his desk thinking.

That night Jen and Nick talk about their meeting with Waverley, and they are now aloud to have their relationship out in the open but they decide not to do anything different to what they have been doing now while at work, but outside of work they don't really care.

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><p><strong>OK<strong>** this is the end if you want a follow on just let me know :)**

**Thank you to everyone who has read and left some feedback for me :)**


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